Timeless Teachings

Seven years ago today, October 7, I embarked on an unknown, uncomfortable, and unwanted journey that would take me down a path in life that I had never hoped to experience.
And yet, if one lives long enough, we realize that everyone will encounter this journey, in one way or another, at some point.

Today, I remember and honor Vicki, her life, her love, her legacy.

Reflections often give the clearest pictures, and for a few minutes, I reflect on the timeless teachings of Vicki that provided some timeless lessons.

Some remember Vicki as a school teacher. For over seventeen years, Vicki was employed in some teaching capacity in the educational system. She loved “her kids.” And “her kids” loved her. There was no denying the fact that Vicki had an innate ability to connect with those children beyond the pages of a textbook. Her daily lessons were carefully prepared and laid out in her daily lesson plans, but her students always received much more than her paper plans indicated.

Some may remember Vicki as a worship leader. For a number of years, Vicki led many people in praise and worship and ushered them into the presence of the Lord. Her example was key in teaching others how to enter His gates with thanksgiving and to enter His courts with praise. If you were privileged to have been a part of those services, you would have recognized this was not just singing and playing instruments; this was truly an anointed experience, an experience that definitely led you into an encounter with God’s presence.

You may remember Vicki as a Bible teacher. Those inborn skills Vicki possessed in the school classrooms easily transferred into a church service, a small-group setting, or a ladies’ Bible study. But now those natural teaching skills became anointed, and she could make the Word of God come to life. She could break it down so that even the most complicated things became clear. Her ability to translate the Bible into understandable, life-giving stories was second to none.

Others may remember Vicki as a realtor. Even as a realtor, she masterfully shifted her skills into teaching buyers and sellers. Her lessons helped them better understand the sometimes stressful and often confusing terms used when buying or selling a home. The entire process was established and released from her heart, not just from her head. Her ability to foster deep relationships made for some never-forgotten lessons.

As a mother, her most important role, according to her, she taught some of her most powerful lessons to Melody and Matt. She took time off from the school system to more fully devote her time to our children. She didn’t want to waste even a minute of being a “mother.” She gave them an incredible foundation, not only in academics but also spiritually. I will be forever grateful for the lessons she gave to our children, not only in words, but in her example. Her investment into our children continues to pay huge dividends.

It doesn’t matter what role you remember Vicki in, one thing was perfectly clear—Vicki was a teacher, not simply by degree, but by decree. A classroom or a platform was not necessary for her to teach. All that was needed to connect with Vicki was a simple, “Hello.” She returned the greeting with her smile that lit up the room which connected directly to her heart, and that’s where she taught from.

Countless numbers of people were affected by Vicki’s life and the lessons that she taught. While some of those lessons may be large and impressionable, others may be just a word, or a phrase, or a small expression that still connects them to her. Perhaps you were personally affected in some way by one or more of Vicki’s lessons. Please feel free to leave a comment following this post.

Timeless has been described as lasting, enduring, or perpetual. As humans, we recognize that none of us will live forever in our human bodies. And, though Vicki is no longer living on this earth, her memories and her teachings are still vivid and still alive today. All I have to do is look at my children, my friends, and those who knew her, and I’m reminded of the powerful timeless teachings that will never die.

Teaching was not just what Vicki did; it was who she was. Although she skillfully taught from books, she taught on a daily basis from her heart. And there are some things that can only be learned from the heart, life lessons.

Timeless teachings produced some timeless lessons.

Still Believing!