Janet Red (1939-2008)

On New Year’s day, we received some very bad news… My mother passed away unexpectedly. It was a very sad week for my family and me. My mom and I were very close. She always had a way of making me feel better when times were tough. She had such a large love for her grandkids.

We are comforted with the fact that she walked with the Lord. We know because of His grace she is with Him right now. Her funeral was amazing. During the ceremony, there was a time when people could share what my mom meant to them. People from all over her town (San Saba, TX) stood and shared how she had made a difference in their lives. One lady said that after being a resident of San Saba for over 30 years, she had given up on ever being a part of the community. But my mom reached out to her and helped her get to know people. Another woman shared how my mom’s life made her want to be a better woman. We cried during the whole service, but mostly they were tears of joy because God is so good.

There are five character traits that I will most remember my mother by:

1 & 2) Steadfastness and Optimism: These two went hand in hand for her. She never let anything keep her down. No matter what happened to her, she always found a way to make the best of it, usually turning it into a good thing. For example, she had a stroke 12 years ago. It caused her to lose some mobility in her left leg and the use of her left arm. Most people would have given up. But she pushed through and later came to see the stroke as one of the greatest blessings in her life. She saw it as a blessing because God used it to get her attention and to help her refocus her life. Over and over at the funeral people talked about how she had such a positive attitude and smiling face.

3) Hospitality: My mom loved to bring people together and help them feel included. She moved to San Saba about 10 years ago, not knowing a soul. San Saba is a small town of about 2500. Small towns are hard to become a part of. But she did and she brought other people in with her. She was an active member of about 10 church and community groups. Two women came up to me after the funeral and said she was their best friend! The pastor of her church said that one of the first houses he was invited to when he came to San Saba was hers.

4) Commitment: The different people who were in activities and clubs with her mentioned over and over how faithful she was in attendance. She was the person they could count on to be there no matter how she felt. We experienced the “flip side” of this from time to time when she came to visit us. She would always have to leave to get back to Choir Practice or something like that.

5) Love for her grandkids: Man, she was crazy about her 10 grandkids. What more can I say about that?!

I will miss her very much. Two verses have been in my mind that last couple of days as I think of my mom:

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. My mom was raised in a Christian home. With all the ups and downs in her life and in her faith, she ended up back on the right path.

Psalm 115:16 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.