Christian Living

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The Gatekeeper – Evelyn Rutherford
July 24, 1921 – July 28, 2001

Where do I start? I have vibrant memories and I have shadows of memories. In the shadows I see her picking me up at Union School in a light blue Plymouth. I see her hemming a pair of pants. I see her working crossword puzzles and I see her coaching the Lady Vols from her recliner.

Vibrantly, I see her studying her Sunday School lesson. I see her sewing my wedding dress, piecing together the lace on my veil. I can see her face when she was rocking me and I hear her singing, “Bye – oh Baby Bunting, Daddy’s Gone a’ hunting – to get a little rabbit skin to wrap his baby bunting in.” I don’t ever recall being wrapped in a rabbit skin, but I do remember being wrapped in vibrant love.

She gave love unconditionally. Many find it hard to comprehend the love of Christ, free – unconditional love. But if you ever met my grandmother, you had a glimpse. I was told in the ICU waiting room that a woman who did not know my grandmother commented that she had never seen so many grown men cry. Another woman told her, “You never met their Mama.”

She was a mama. She was a grandmother. And she was a great grandmother. And she was the greatest. With each child, grandchild and great grandchild – her heart grew. She never missed a birthday. Cards were always sent. I found on her desk yesterday birthday cards she had purchased, but will never be sent and my heart ached. It ached because I knew she was thinking of us until her thoughts were no more. When she indicated she was ready to go to heaven, her body would not let her go. It was time for the machines to stop working for her, but her soul had to convince her body. She had worked hard everyday and when harvest time came – she found it hard to leave.

I told my Aunts and Uncles that every night when I left the ICU, I kissed her hand – the same hands that swatted me and rocked me….Hands that were worn and now bruised from IV punctures. And I thought of Christ’s hands, bruised and punctured. I held her hand until the end and when I let go, I knew she was holding those of Christ’s. Neither was battered or bruised or tired or weak. They were hands of precious ivory. Her work on earth was done.

She knitted, she sewed, she collected dolls, she cooked and she cleaned. Most of all she kept us in our place. We were never to say anything bad of anyone. We were taught not to steal, not to lie and to try our best. She accepted anyone and everyone for who they were. She welcomed in a new family member as if they were her own. She protected and defended us all – even when we were wrong. And she gently corrected us when we were. She praised us when we did well.

Mamaw was our peacemaker, our confidant and our gatekeeper. She brought us in out of the rain and pushed us out into the sun. She opened doors and told us to reach for the skies. She taught us to close doors and leave the world behind. She reminded us to forgive and to forget, to say “you’re welcome” and “thank you,” to pray and to praise, to give everyone a fair chance and to play for keeps.

She kept us in our place. And we knew our places. We were each her favorite. She made each of us feel as if we were. She told us how well we had done, when we felt our worse, when we tried and failed. When she opened her gate you came into safe haven. When she had nursed our egos, calmed our storms, band aided our knees and kissed our cheeks – she sent us back out into the world to try again.

Here on Earth, she was “our gatekeeper.” But now she has met the Gatekeeper above and He has opened the door, the gate to eternity and said, “Well done, My Good and Faithful Servant.”

By Lisa Huskey in loving tribute to Evelyn Rutherford, her grandmother

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