Celebrating Virginia Marshall

This morning, I pointed my car east and joined dear friends in Nederland to celebrate the life of Virginia Marshall. My father pastored the Marshall family for six years in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and some of my clearest, most cherished childhood memories were made during those years.

I can’t express how much it warmed my heart, hearing her grandchildren (my beloved friends’ children) honoring their “Granny” today with beautiful singing, along with sweet, sincere, and moving words. I can’t describe the feeling that settled over me, but it was profound, and it has stayed with me all day. And the closing words of her son-in-law, Pastor Randy, really spoke to me in a personal way when he referred to Deuteronomy 7:9: “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” In all my years, I don’t recall ever hearing that verse spoken aloud. But today, it felt like a promise meant just for me—a comforting truth I’m choosing to hold onto from this day forward.

As I drove home this afternoon, the old saying came to mind: “You can’t make old friends.” And I thought, if we’re blessed to grow old in this life, how wonderful it is to do so surrounded by those who’ve known our beginnings and who've stayed true through the years. For me, my old friends are forever young and beautiful. That's just the way it is.
Until we meet again, dear ones, may the Lord’s grace surround you, his peace sustain you, and the light of his love guide your way.

* I’m so glad Dayle and I posed for this picture in July while celebrating Renee’s birthday.