The Life and Leadership Of Carolyne Jean King Goodrich

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This is the transcript from The Memorial Service for Carolyne Jean King Goodrich-my Grandma G.

July, 8 2017

First Baptist Church, Polk City, FL.

Psalm 127 says that “children are a heritage from the Lord [and a reward]. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.”

I think Carolyne, my Grandma G, would be proud to see her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends and family gathered to remember her and to say goodbye. Your presence is the best indicator of the heritage and legacy that Carolyne Jean King Goodrich left on this earth. She was a woman who was loved, a woman who was respected, a woman who was generous.
She was born in Kalamazoo, MI on March 29th, 1931 and left this earth on June 20th, 2017. She was the child of Murray J. King and Gladys Doty. She married David Ross Goodrich on October 25th, 1951. She was the mother of four boys: Norm, William, Larry and Chuck. She had the privilege of having fourteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Her parents, husband and son Norm, all preceded her in death.

Carolyne graduated from Haines City High School as the valedictorian and received a scholarship to Florida Southern College. At Florida Southern College she majored in English and Spanish. She held many jobs from working as a substitute teacher, tour guide, Disney, sales clerk, chiropractor assistant, hostess, case worker, nutrition aide and marketing representative.
She also volunteered her time to serve the community at a psychiatric hospital, Cub Scout Den Mother, church outreach, the Outpost on 27, Polk Literacy Council teaching English to native Spanish speakers to name a few.
Some of her favorite hobbies were sewing, crocheting, ceramics, playing music on her organ and singing.

Over the last few days I’ve had the opportunity to reminisce over stories that I knew and learn more about Grandma G through stories I didn’t know. My mom, brother and I have had the privilege of being grafted into her life through my Dad, her son, Chuck. We were adopted into her family and began to bear her name. Grandma G’s presence just extended a sort of hospitality that you didn’t know was possible.

That’s the way that many of us knew her, wasn’t it? A gracious, hospitable woman who always wanted to know how you were doing because she cared about you and what you were going through. She never met a stranger.
Grandma G was an infamous dessert maker, which immediately made her popular with people who have a sweet tooth. The desserts not only tasted good, they looked good too. I believe her favorite dessert to make was golden brownie squares. I remember while growing up visiting her at her house in Haines City. Blake and I would take turns sneaking into the freezer to grab a taste of those delicious golden brownies before dinner, well, any opportunity we could find really.

But it wasn’t just Grandma’s baking skills or open door that made her a woman of such gracious hospitality. No, there was something about her inner spirit that just had a tendency to draw you in. She was a woman who seemed to always be optimistic and positive. You rarely heard her complain. She could always put a positive spin even on the hard times. She never had a bad word to say about anyone and no matter what you were going through she’d figure out a way to empathize with you.

Up until a few years ago, she would crochet blankets for each of us at Christmas. Every year we grew a little more and needed a new larger blanket, so she took the time and made them for us. As I got older and started my family, my boys started receiving blankets and I began to get what she called a prayer shoal. I’m confident the reason she began making prayer shoals was to encourage me as the leader in my family to pray for them and lead them toward the Gospel. Deuteronomy 6 says that “The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” She wanted me to be the spiritual leader in my home and crocheted a prayer shoal to help me realize that I can’t do it on my own, that I needed to turn to God in prayer and ask Him to help me.

And she was funny. Man, was she funny. She had a quick wit that had a way of diffusing the most awkward moments you could imagine with her sense of humor. I remember a few years ago at my son, Mason’s 1st birthday party, she was the talk of the night. Ross was in charge of bringing Grandma to the party. Now, I’m not sure if it was his idea or hers, but when they turned on the dirt road that leads to Keith and Tina’s, she was standing up through the sunroof dancing as Ross drove her to the party with the music blaring and just having a good ol’ time. She knew how to make people laugh.

And it was that wit and humor that we remember during these last months. Times when many of us would have lost a smile or given up on gratitude, Grandma found a way to help her family and friends and caregivers be encouraged even in the midst of her illness.

You see, it was her leadership that set the tone for how others interacted with her in the midst of her illness. She was a woman who was resolute in the face of death, and she was at peace. And it was because of that others around her could know that same peace. It was contagious and profound. And it was a gift that she gave to many of us.

There are many more stories we can tell about her influence on our lives because she lived such a long and interesting life.
That was Carolyne Goodrich. Even in her last hours, she was able to grasp the hands of those sitting beside her. Even in the face of death, it was as if she was the one who was once again giving of herself and trying to be a comfort to others.

In John’s Gospel, chapter 14, John recounts an instance in Jesus’ life when He, himself, is attempting to prepare His disciples for His impending death. Jesus has just explained what heaven will be like, and that one day, those who trusted him as Lord and Savior would join Him there. When one of the disciples remained unconvinced, Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

There are three things in this passage that we all need to understand. First, Jesus says, “I am the way.” This simply means that he is the door that we must pass through. The Bible is very restrictive on who gets to heaven. It’s only those who have a relationship with Jesus Christ and have trusted him as Lord and Savior. I know that sounds exclusive, even intolerant. But as one author said, “Christianity is the most inclusive exclusivity that has ever been.”

As I’ve already mentioned, Carolyne was a good woman. She was a great Grandma G. She was kind to everyone she met. She would even practice her Spanish at times with those she noticed spoke the language to engage in conversation with others. But not one of those things would get her to a heavenly home. When Jesus said that he is the way, he meant that he is the mediator between a holy God and sinful man.

There is one thing that unites all of humanity. Each of us was born with the stain of sin written into our spiritual DNA. We cannot clean ourselves up enough to be good enough for God. The good news is, we don’t have to. A relationship with God can be had by placing our trust in his son, Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins.
That had happened with Carolyne, by the way. Many years ago, someone took the time to explain to her what it meant to be a follower of Christ. It was then that she began a relationship with Jesus that would change her heart forever. And while there may have been lots of things on this earth she was unsure of, there was one thing she could know for a fact – her heavenly home, the next destination beyond this earth – was secure. By entering that relationship with Christ she not only had peace in this life, but certainty about the life to come.

Not only does Jesus say that he is the way, but he is also the truth. There are many things in this world that compete for the place of truth. Advertisements and politicians and educational institutions and even religions clamor for the right to claim absolute truth. Jesus claimed to be a man who actually embodied Truth. He was the one who could reveal insight about God the Father. He was the one who could guarantee hope beyond the grave. He is the one on whom we can hang our expectations and our hopes and our longings.

Finally, Jesus is the life. Carolyne’s physical life slipped away on Tuesday, June 20th, but her spiritual life has just begun. We can spend lots of time trying to improve our lives on earth. We do that by educating our minds and exercising our bodies and surrounding ourselves with nice things. And really, there’s nothing inherently wrong with those things. The only problem is, none of those things give us any peace for eternity. They cannot save our souls from death. If you are here today and this funeral service seems like the last step in Carolyne Goodrich’s journey, then you have entirely missed the point. Our hopes for her should not have died on Tuesday. The investments that she made in spiritual things will not be left here today. No, those spiritual investments have just begun to reap their reward. There is hope beyond the grave. There is power over death. There is assurance of another world to come. And yes, there is also the assurance of judgment for those who do not accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

The Bible tells us that we have two choices. We accept what Jesus did for us on the cross, or we do not. Two choices. Only two. And actually, when we choose not to decide, we have already decided. To not accept Christ is to reject Him. When we accept him by faith, ask him to forgive us of our sins, and seek to walk in a relationship with him, we enjoy the peace of knowing that we go to heaven when we leave this earth. If we do not accept him, then we are left with the terrifying prospect of trying to make it to heaven on our own. No amount of good deeds can erase the fact that we are sinners in desperate need of a savior.

I’m thankful today that Grandma G realized that. I’m thankful that she is safe in the presence of Jesus. She’s in heaven, to be sure, but she didn’t make it by virtue of her own goodness. She is only there based on her forgiveness through Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross. I can assure you today that she would say this long and sometimes painful journey has been worth it if there’s even one person here who realizes that same truth. Today, even as we sit in memory of Grandma G, you can begin your own relationship with Jesus Christ.

To do that, you have to follow the same path that she did on that day years ago. You have to understand that your sin separates you from God. You have to understand that Jesus – God’s Son – was his one and only plan to bridge the gap between a sinful man and holy God. And you have to repent of your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and turn your life over to him. The coming days and years will be difficult as memories have to replace the physical presence of Grandma G. But I can assure you that placing your hurts and your fears at the feet of Christ will make a difficult journey somewhat easier.

Prayer

Merciful Father,

Your Word tells us in Revelation that one day you will wipe away every tear from our eyes, death will be no more, there will be no mourning, and no pain. Until that day, we wait and hope for when all the sad things of this world will come untrue. Father, this is a bittersweet moment for us as believers because we rejoice that Grandma G is with you praising you while we miss her here on earth. Jesus, just like you comforted your disciples before your impending death, I pray that you comfort us as our hearts are sorrowful yet rejoicing. You are the way to salvation-draw us closer to your arms. You are truth-give us more of you so we know you personally, and you are life-allow your Spirit to dwell in us and make us a new creation where the old is gone and behold the new has come. We pray that if anyone here does not know you as Lord and Savior that they would turn from their ways and seek your face.