A good man died this past week. Marvin Humphrey was a deacon at our church until about two and half years ago when he and his wife decided that they needed to move in order to be closer to a major hospital. Spencer was only his pastor for a few months– maybe six before they moved. Still, in that short time, we quickly realized that the Humphreys were gems and that their move would prove to be a real loss. Yesterday we attended his funeral. His pastor could barely get through the service. As he preached, he kept having to stop due to tears. Clearly, he loved Marvin very much. Pastor Jay worked his way through I Timothy 3 and related the characteristics of a deacon to Marvin’s life He called Marvin his “encourager”... his “Barnabas.” It was one of the best funeral services I’ve ever attended (including the GREAT, unfuneral-like music.) His was a life well lived, a life to celebrate. On the way home, Cole asked me, “What do you think made Marvin’s life stand out against so many others?” We both agreed that he definitely did stand out and listed many of the same things that Jay had mentioned. But I finally said, “You know- his wife is such a credit to him. She’s gracious and kind and hard working. When I think of Marge, I think of Proverbs 31:26: “She opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness."" They were such a team. You can tell a lot about a man by looking at his wife. This, of course, made me think about the kind of wife that I am and how I so desire to be a credit to my husband. My prayer for today is that I would be a gracious, kind, hard working woman– someone who opens her mouth with wisdom and kindness. I want to grow godlier as the years go by. I want to someday be the kind of grandmother who is a “rock.” Here’s to finishing well everybody.