Marilyn Jackson 10/8/21 (2)

Marilyn Jackson

[Song]

We gather today to celebrate the life and faithfulness of Marilyn Jackson and to rejoice in the promise of eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. We also gather to comfort one another in our time of loss.

The Bible is clear . . . this life is not all there is. Jesus said,

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

He also said,

“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. (John 11:25)

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

Let’s pray together,

Our Father, we come today grateful that you have given us a sure hope of life beyond the grave. This is where our joy is found today.

There are questions we wish we could ask. There are explanations we wish we could hear. But the bottom line is: We trust you. O Lord. Draw us close to you as we remember Marilyn’s life. Remind us of the many ways we saw You in her. Be present among us, for we ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Marilyn Mae Clover was born on September 21, 1944 to Lowell and Maxine Clover. She grew up on the farm and learned how to handle most jobs on the farm. She learned to drive early and became very competent in all things related to the farm. She loved to tease and have fun just like her dad. It is suspected that Marilyn always found a way to hang with her dad so Sherry would have to deal with the chickens.

It may surprise you (it did me) to know that Marilyn was kind of a daredevil. Once she was drag racing down the Disco road (if she admits to doing it once, she probably did it several times.) No one knows whether or not she won this particular race. What made this race special was the next Sunday Harriett Crum walked up to her in church and whispered, “I hope you won.” Marilyn was horrified. She knew if her parents found out about her drag racing, she would no longer be able to drive the car . . . and she liked driving the car. She bragged that she knew how to disconnect the odometer from the transmission so her dad wouldn’t know how many miles she had gone!

She was fearless as a driver. Nothing stopped her, not even a snowstorm on New Years Eve.

In High School John Jackson remembers n his freshman year, Marilyn did not do any of the hazing that was so common of freshmen students in those days. Instead, she was actually very kind to John as a freshman. It was a kindness long remembered.

When Marilyn was living in Burlington she was in a motorcycle accident that resulted in some stiches. She also liked to ride horses and bicycles and anything that was active.

This “wild side” of Marilyn didn’t go away as she got older. She impressed Evan once by burning off in one of Jim’s cars after the car show! In 2003 Roger and Marilyn bought their Harley. Marilyn decided they needed to get new pipes so everyone would hear them coming into town. They went to Quincy and looked at the catalog. The salesman said they really needed to listen to the pipes to determine which was loudest. Suddenly, Marilyn was gone and Roger finished talking to the salesman. He looked around for Marilyn and found her out with a row of bikers parked outside. She was going to the various bikers asking them to start their bikes so she could hear them. When he reached her, she pointed to one and said, “We want this one.” Roger said, as he feared, it was very expensive!

Marilyn also learned how to shoot and shoot well. She was no prissy girl! She was a good shot; a very good shot. She shot a lot of rabbits . . . even after she moved to town with Roger! They have some spots on the garage from where the bullets ricocheted off the rabbits.

Speaking of shooting there was the time that Evan got a new pellet rifle. Marilyn said, “Come on Evan, I know a good place to shoot.” They went out to Steve’s brand new metal machine shed and she started shooting. When you went inside you could see the little holes of sunlight. Evan’s story is: Marilyn did all the shooting! It is reported that Steve may not have been too pleased with his older sister.

Marilyn was a good farm wife. She canned, snapped beans, drove a tractor, and hauled corn to the elevator. She also raised her three kids. She was a pretty laid back mom (after hearing the previous stories that is much more understandable). When the kids would push the limits, she would let them know what those limits were, but she didn’t over react. When something was spilled at the dinner table it was really no big deal. They wiped it up and went on with the meal.

Marilyn sought to raise he kids in Christ to the best of her ability. She wanted them to live good lives while at the same time, being free to try things and have fun. Her children had a lot of freedom . . . as long as they didn’t abuse it.

When Lori and Gary were added to the family, it was seamless. They too became her children just as Jeff, Alison and Philip became Roger’s children.

Marilyn was attentive. She was babysitting one girl when she noticed she seemed to be having vision problems. She was right and that girl got the help she needed.

Marilyn could be sneaky. Once there was a Halloween party and everyone dressed up to attend. Marilyn was at home watching all the children. Soon someone came to the door wearing a long gray trench coat and a mask. The person wandered around the room but never talked . . . all night! Finally, the mysterious person left leaving everyone confused as to who it was. It was a little while before they learned it was Marilyn. No one really knows who was watching the kids.

When Marilyn met Roger, it was through a mutual friend. He was still reeling from his divorce and his friend said, “You know, you should talk to Marilyn.” Roger resisted. He wasn’t ready. The friend insisted that it would do him some good because Marilyn had been through it and could help him. The friend nagged him until he called her. They went out. They had a good time. They went out some more. Before long, they were in love. On Valentines Day 1987 they were married.

Marilyn was there to help care for her father and help around the farm. She worked for 20 years in the office at the La Harpe Davier Health Care Center. She also sold Mary Kay. She served on the City Council.

Marilyn loved being with her kids and grandkids. She loved making them food (Chicken and Noodles, Cherry Delight, Cream Puffs, Pies, And Lois Painters recipe for Angel Food Cake). Marilyn loved to attend any ballgames the kids or grandkids were playing in. She was a knowledgeable fan. She learned the game and cheered for good plays on either team. She and Roger even learned the rules of soccer when some of the grandkids turned in that direction.

Once Holly was climbing on the roof of the house. And Marilyn like a any concerned grandma said, “Holly, don’t go anywhere, I need to get a camera!”

Marilyn was the kind of person the kids (and many others) knew they could turn to in time of need. They would get a compassionate ear and wise counsel. She went to games, and had the kids over as long and as often as possible.

Marilyn attended the Union Church but never joined the church. Marilyn would have liked a little more “expressive form of worship.” However, she was always kind and supportive of what we were teaching from the pulpit. She had a curious and hungry mind.

Marilyn was known by many as a woman of deep faith. She grew up in the church but likely was truly converted when attending a Lay-Witness meeting in in 70’s. Marilyn was a person who believed in prayer. She read her Bible faithfully. She witnessed whenever she had the chance. She was not afraid of telling someone they needed to get right with Christ. I think she and Roger grew greatly when they were together.

In 2005 Marilyn started having some physical problems. She was diagnosed with Hemi-Parkinson’s (meaning it only effected one side of her body). In 2008 she had a five-way heart bypass. Latter, she had back surgery and then knee surgery. She was then diagnosed with Parkinson’s related dementia. Marilyn was slipping. She spent the last 4 years at Bickford of Macomb.

The vitality was taken out of her body but on those rare occasions she would say something that made family smile. Like the time Philip was visiting and he reached over to flick something off of Donna’s boot. His mom waged her finger and said, “You should wait till you get home for that kind of stuff.” Roger looked forward to the few but occasional signs of recognition and expressions of love. His love for her is the kind of things they make movies about.

Roger loved Marilyn right up to the end, It was not always easy but when you find that “most special someone” you are not easily persuaded to walk away.

Her family describes her as faithful, big-hearted, a fervent witness, honest and outspoken, fearless, fun, a mom and grandma, a lover of family. The Jackson and McDowell families merged into one integrated family and felt privileged to do so.

Marilyn Jackson was a faithful servant of the Lord, a Loving Wife, an adoring mom and Grandma, and a person who enriched those with whom she came into contact. I wonder how many people have been turned toward the Lord because of Marilyn Jackson. She is now having a blast in Heaven.

[Song 2]

Marilyn Jackson was a godly woman. She had a great faith and a resolute devotion to Christ. What mitigates our grief today is the knowledge that Marilyn is with the Lord whom she loved and served. She served and honored the Lord even in hard times. These words of Paul could have been written by her.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. [1]

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. [2]

Marilyn understood that she was a person who was not saved because she was good (even though she was a wonderful woman), she was forgiven and made right with God because Jesus gave His life as payment for her sin. She knew her life here and for eternity depended wholly and solely on Jesus.

Lots of people go to church all their lives. They pray. They sometimes even read their Bibles. Some are religious and some are not. Some people view themselves as “pretty good,” others know they have drifted far from God’s commands. But Marilyn understood that all people can be forgiven if they trust the work and teaching of Christ to make them new. You see, contrary to popular opinion, Jesus is not looking for religious people. He is looking for people who want to have a relationship with Him. He is looking for people who admit they are lost without Him and know He is their only hope. He is looking for people who have a genuine hunger for Him.

Now I know at this point, Marilyn would want me to ask you a question: “Do you understand that you are lost without Him? Are you willing to leave your past sins, hurts, and failures aside for the new life He can give you? If so, admit your failure and sin to Him and ask Him to make you new on the inside and the outside. Open your heart to the Holy Spirit (God living inside of you) and let Him lead you to a whole new way of living. I believe Marilyn would encourage you to do this TODAY.

Paul wrote,

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. [3]

Marilyn certainly was growing weary in her earthly body. She longed for that new heavenly body. She knew we weren’t just going to be “spirits absorbed into the great spirit world” (whatever that means). We are going to be real people with new, perfected, and glorious bodies. We will be able to walk and talk with God. Our tears will be gone. Life will be without the pain and suffering of today. This is our reason for joy today.

There is a little more to Marilyn’s story. From my perspective, Marilyn sought to live her life for an “audience of one.” She did not look for the world’s acclaim or even approval. The only “Well Done” she wanted to hear was from the lips of Jesus.

Yet we had a conversation one day on the back deck of their home. Marilyn said, “Bruce, I feel so guilty. I know if I had more faith, all these problems would go away.“ I tried to explain that I did not think physical difficulties meant she lacked faith. But she was convinced that a truly faithful person wouldn’t have the problems she had.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe God can and does heal. I also believe God wants us to have a good life. He desires to bless and prosper us. But I also believe from what I read in the Word of God that God defines those words differently than we do. To be “blessed by God” is to be brought closer to Him. “Prosperity” to the Lord is not material riches, it a deep and abiding walk with Him. God’s most profound healing is that which happens inside of us. It is the healing first and foremost of our relationship with him.

I hated the fact that Marilyn might think for a minute that her illnesses were a sign that she did not have enough faith. On Tuesday when I heard about Marilyn’s death, I couldn’t help but smile. I thought of these words from Max Lucado.

When you see how this world grows stooped and weary and then read of a home where everything is made new, tell me, doesn’t that make you want to go home?

What would you give in exchange for a home like that? Would you really rather have a few possessions on earth than eternal possessions in heaven? Would you really choose a life of slavery to passion over a life of freedom? Would you honestly give up all of your heavenly mansions for a second-rate sleazy motel on earth?

“Great,” Jesus said, “is your reward in heaven.” He must have smiled when he said that line. His eyes must have danced, and his hand must have pointed skyward.

For he should know. It was his idea. It was his home.[4]

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You’ll be home soon, too. You may not have noticed it, but you are closer to home than ever before. Each moment is a step taken. Each breath is a page turned. Each day is a mile marked, a mountain climbed. You are closer to home than you’ve ever been.

Before you know it, your appointed arrival time will come; you’ll descend the ramp and enter the City.

You’ll see faces that are waiting for you. You’ll hear your name spoken by those who love you. And, maybe, just maybe—in the back, behind the crowds—the One who would rather die than live without you will remove his pierced hands from his heavenly robe and … applaud.[5]

I believe Marilyn has now discovered that the audience of One was not disappointed in her at all. On the contrary, He was proud of her, applauded, and wrapped His arms around her. Imagine the relief she felt. What a great day it must have been and continues to be.

Will you pray with me?

Gracious Father, we confess that we have come to hate degenerative disease. But I believe you do as well. Lord, thank you for this family and the love they showed to Marilyn. Thank you for Marilyn’s spirit, her faith, and her endurance.

Lead those who do not fully trust you to that point of decision where the light goes on and they finally see the glory and the beauty of your mercy and grace. May all the seeds Marilyn and Roger have sown during these years bear rich fruit.

Now grant healing and comfort to this family who has been grieving for many years as they have lost Marilyn one inch at a time. Help them to heal and to find Your joy in living and in remembering. Amen.

Let me conclude with some the lessons Marilyn taught us,

1. If you are going to live this life you might as well have a little fun and make a little noise.

2. Watching ballgames is much more fun if you know what is going on.

3. Hard work never hurt anyone.

4. Family is a gift from God to be cherished and enjoyed.

5. Spilled milk is easy to wipe up; not so, harsh words.

6. When life and relationships have let you down, God has a plan that will lift you back up. Sometimes around the next corner God has something for you that is better than you ever imagined.

7. As tempting as it is to shoot a pellet gun at a brand new metal shed, resist!

8. What is the sense of having a powerful engine in a car, if you aren’t going to use it?

9. If you never share your faith with others, you really shouldn’t expect to have the joy of leading others to Him.

10. If you want to know what love looks like, watch someone who cares for their spouse over the course of a long-term illness without wavering in their love. It’s beautiful.

[1] 2 Co 4:8–10. [2] 2 Co 4:18. [3] 2 Co 5:1–5. [4] Max Lucado, The Applause of Heaven (Dallas, TX: Word Pub., 1996), 193, 194