Our family recently lost a treasure as Patricia Jean Marshall (Aunt Pat) entered the Lord’s perfect presence, leaving behind this tired world of pain and suffering. If I’m honest, I’m a little jealous. I would give anything to catch a glimpse of what she’s seeing. She didn’t leave us empty-handed, however. Warm, vivid memories remain of her attention to beauty and her Christ-like love.
There are certain things that will always remind me of Aunt Pat. She taught me to love pimento cheese and lemon poppy seed bread. I remember beautiful breakfast tables with warmed plates. She also possessed the coolest refrigerator ever with a magic button on the inside of the door that served as a water dispenser. I recall a shopping scene when I’d fallen in love with a red Swatch shirt that I couldn’t afford, only to find out later she’d purchased it when I wasn’t looking. She was generous and “gifty” and a little bit sneaky—all qualities of the perfect woman!
Aunt Pat played a role in my singing career, often bringing me music when I was a young girl. Here are a few lyrics from a song I remember performing many times after she’d discovered it:
We Have a Wonderful Guest at Our House
by Louis P. Leeman in 1955
We have a wonderful Guest at our house
He makes our home a heaven every day
And this wonderful Guest at our house
Has promised us He’ll never go away
He brought a lovely letter from His Father up above
And every day we read it, it tells us of His love
And when we go to sleep at night
He see that everything’s all right
This wonderful Guest at our house
He makes our home a heaven every day
I really mean it
He makes our home a heaven every day
His name is Jesus
He makes our home a heaven every day
I adored that “I really mean it” line—I felt so jazzy when I sang it! Aunt Pat taught me that faith is more than a feeling, however. She really meant it when she proclaimed God’s goodness. She really meant it when she prayed for me. She really meant it when she said, “I love you more.” I have known Christ’s love because of Pat Marshall. Watching her welcome the wonderful Guest into her house with such confident hope has shaped my faith.
And now, she is a guest in His house, realizing all she believed of her Savior was but a drop in the bucket of His true worth and glory. I am thankful for my godly heritage, the things taught to me by this special woman. I still really love pimento cheese and lemon poppy seed bread, but I am most grateful that I have a wonderful Guest at my house.
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