This blog post is brought to you by Graeme’s latest book: The Guilt Busters
Grace Agnes Panton Mackay was born in the Northcote in 1909 and was the eldest of seven children one who died in infancy. She grew up in the Gippsland dairying district called Woolamai. As a child she attended Woolamai primary school during which time she became a committed Christian. After leaving School she worked in the Bass Store and Post Office giving most of the money she earnt to her parents. She played tennis taught Sunday School and in due course married English migrant, Cyril Davis, a local dairy farmer.
I first met her when I was 16 and soon noticed three things about her that were to have a great impact on my life. The first was that she had been recently widowed. Now alone, she was raising a family the youngest of whom was still at Primary School, and she was running a dairy farm with the assistance of one of her children. I admired her strength of character that enabled her to continue after losing the love of her life. The second thing about Grace that stood out was her amazing faith. Up to meeting her I am not sure I had met such an authentic Christian. She trusted God in every situation. The third thing I noticed about her was that she had three teenage daughters, one of which was Julia, who I promptly fell in love with and ultimately married.
Grace lived a long and influential life, leaving a legacy that will last for many generations. She was first and foremost a mother whose faith and courage sustained her family at the time of their father’s death. She was a farmer, a daughter, a sister and a generous neighbour. In later years she was forced to go back to work and was a model employee. She taught Christian education in Schools until she was 90. Until her death at 103 years of age, she was a strong and consistent witness for Jesus. Two of her children are in their 80s now and two in their late 70s. They all love the Lord as she did and have the same authenticity and strength that marked her life.
When I think of Grace, I am still inspired especially by three aspects of the life she lived. The first was her resilience. The definition of resilience is; the capacity of a person to adjust to or readily recover from illness, adversity, and major life changes. Grace fulfilled this definition to the letter She rejected anger and self-pity. She took responsibility gladly. She recognised her need for healthy relationships and the support offered by others. She prayed over everything she did. She encouraged her children to choose their individual directions and she never stopped praying for them.
The second aspect of Grace’s life that still inspires me was her personal faith. She trusted in the love of God, she surrendered to his Lordship in her life and the gratitude she felt toward Him was expressed in her selfless service to others. Even now, eight years after her death friends still speak of the blessing, she was to them. Literally, thousands of children over a period of forty years were taught by her and prayed for by her.
The third aspect of her life that is a constant inspiration especially as I grow older was her absolute certainty about life after death. As her life came to an end, she spoke often of being in God’s hands and that her death would occur in God’s own time and then she would be with him forever. It never occurred to her to think that eternity was assured for her because she deserved it but purely because of God’s wonderful grace.
I have often wondered what people mean when they speak of someone leaving a legacy. But when I look at what I have written I believe that Grace’s legacy for me is that she has shown me how to approach each season of my life without fear. I guess that is what is meant by resilience. Like Grace, most of us face different seasons in our lives some of which are extremely difficult and have the potential of imprisoning us in grief, or bitterness or despair. Faith and hope are the pathways out of that prison and are borne out of the experience of God’s love for us and the daily strength and courage he gives us to move on regardless
God Bless
Graeme.
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