Good News!

Back on October 5, I posted about M, one of my finest students  — exceptional in several ways.  She is of Ethiopian descent, and both of her parents immigrated to the United States, where her five children were born.  M is the oldest of the five and turned 11 years old on December 4.

At the age of 41, M's mother perished on November 5 of inflammatory breast cancer, one of the most aggressive types of the disease, while she was visiting friends and family in the country of her birth. She chose to go there alone so as to spare her husband and her children from witnessing those last terrible days.  In fact, her visit to Ethiopia was very short  — only a matter of a week or so.

If ever a Godly woman walked this earth, it was M's mother!  No matter what bad things came down the pike — even terminal cancer — she said over and over again, "The Lord is good."  And she meant it!

Over 500 people attended the memorial service held here in the United States on November 25, and all who spoke at the service emphasize that this woman walked with the Lord.  At the service, M also offered a tribute dedicated to her mother: playing on the piano her mother's favorite hymn, "Amazing Grace."

At the memorial service, I was struck yet again by the staunch American patriotism of this family.  The video loop of family pictures contained photo after photo of M's mother and father and all of the children standing in front of various buildings related to our nation's heritage including Mount Vernon, the White House, and the Jefferson Memorial.  Not a single picture of the family on vacation at Disney World or Six Flags!  Obviously, this family focused on love of America and on making sure that their children understood their American heritage.

The good news that the title of this post does not refer any of the above, however.

The good news, which I received over the weekend, is that M and her siblings will be staying in the homeschool classes until the end of the school term.  We won't have to say goodbye to them.

I had fully expected M's husband to enroll the children in a traditional school.  After all, the man works a full time job with hours much longer than bankers' hours and, therefore, cannot homeschool the children himself.  Now, however, he doesn't have to disrupt his children's school year: a friend of the family has volunteered to continue homeschooling the children because this friend knows that M's mother was dedicated to providing that kind of education for her children.

I can hear M's mother's voice now:

And I smile through tears — not only because her children will be continuing their education without interruption but also because those words from M's mother blessed me so many times when I was feeling low about the situation here in the AOW household.

That the Lord is good really IS The Good News.