Mrs. Melba

Milla and Mrs. Melba

Y'all, Mrs. Melba went to be with Jesus last week.  

You might remember me talking about this special, special woman.  She was Ann Carlyle's pre-k teacher and then was Milla's teacher.  

God used her in a new and fresh way to show Ann Carlyle His love and that He was her Savior.  A new understanding in Ann Carlyle's heart happened that year.  And I know that many other parents feel the same way I do as Mrs. Melba taught these little children for 17 years at Second Presbyterian Church's PDO.

Just a year and a half or so later, Mrs. Melba was Milla's teacher.  This was the year that Milla had her first seizure, that she started tripping and falling, that she had rages and a hard time communicating as her verbal skills declined.  Her seizures grew in number to 700+/day, she was in and out of the hospital, we were trying all kinds of meds to help with her seizures (which all have crazy side effects).  Bottomline, Mrs. Melba (and her co-teacher, Missy) loved Milla....loved her so deeply and so well and taught those other kiddos what love looks like.  (Although, we could all also argue that those kids taught US what love looks like.)

Mrs. Melba, who was around 84 years old at the time (yes, 84), had planned to retire that year, but she decided to continue to teach because of Milla.  She continued to be with Milla for the next couple of years, and as Milla's abilities and health declined, became Milla's one-on-one teacher until she had to retire because she was diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian cancer.

The relationship that Milla and Mrs. Melba shared is truly beyond words.  But those that were able to see them together, even for just a moment, could see all they needed to see in order to know the love they had for each other.  They giggled and listened to birds and Mrs. Melba would sing, sing, sing and never let Milla doubt for a minute of Jesus' love for her.  Mrs. Melba would sing that they were 'gonna dance, dance, dance' as she would help Milla kick out her legs to 'dance.'  And Mrs. Melba would tell her that they were going to sing and dance in heaven.  Mrs. Melba would push Milla around in her stroller to visit the babies, to visit the church staff, to go outside to listen to the birds, to look at all the pictures of the kids on the walls of the church and to see Milla's favorite - a painting depicting Jesus surrounded by children.  

One life, so young, yet so full of faith and the love of God.  Another life, so many years, had lived for so long and had gained so much wisdom and faith and a deep, deep, abiding love of God.

Talk about your super-power-couple.  :)  I really could talk for hours about them.

Mrs. Melba had surgery initially to get her cancer out but the cancer returned this summer in her abdomen.  She had a second surgery just a couple of weeks ago, but has been unable to recover. 

Blessed be the name of the Lord for that woman's life.  She is exactly where she has longed to be...with Jesus.  And she gets to dance with Milla - really dance - as they celebrate together in heaven.

Mrs. Melba's funeral service will be Tuesday, August 22 at 3pm, with a brief visitation from 2-3pm, at East Side Baptist Church in Memphis.

As her memorial, written by her family, states, "Her one big love was evangelism, especially with children, and there was nothing she loved more than to be standing in front of a group of young ones, with her flannel-board, teaching the Bible."

We absolutely adored this woman.  What a legacy she leaves.  Her life has impacted so, so many...and will continue to do so for generations to come.  Praise God!

Please pray for her family as they miss her greatly.  

-Dana (please look at that picture of the 2 of them...pictures can sometimes say things that words can't suffice.)