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How can we be sure that Mano is with Jesus Christ in Heaven? Let’s take a look at her life. Do we see the “fruit of the spirit” evident? Anyone who knew her—even her caretakers for the last four years at The Palms Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Corpus Christi—would say they saw Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
When we looked at Mano’s Bible following her passing, we noticed she had several notes in the back with many acronyms, so I’d like to honor her with the acronym, Mano:
M – Maternal
One of the things Mano was most proud of is that she and Paw Paw raised two sons with very different identities through the 1950s and early 1960s. My Dad was a cowboy, who rode bulls and rodeoed in high school. My Uncle Ronnie, on the other hand, was a surfer. Mano shared how she worked to support both boys, as they grew up with their unique identities, interests, and different circle of friends.
Both sons grew up in the Church, learning to love Jesus Christ, and both raised their own families to do the same.
A – Attitude
Mano was known by everyone for her attitude. She was always kind and positive—to everyone she met.
I think I’ll always remember when she was dropped at the nursing home, leaving her with a broken back, she expressed concern “for the young man involved.”
N – Never Give Up!
In May 2016, I posted about “Mano’s ABC’s of Perseverance.”
She never gave up…on her marriage that lasted nearly 70 years; on her church; or on life. She fought hard until the end, beating the odds and baffling doctors about how she could live so long, lying flat on her back.
O – Others-Focused
Mano focused on others throughout her life. She was a great listener, who genuinely cared for people and how they were doing. While it was hard to understand why she continued to live so long on bedrest, we continued to hear about different lives she touched and people she impacted…until the end of her days.
While I offered my own tribute to Mano, I’m pleased to share Katy’s “Letter About Mano” here:
December 30, 2018
My Letter About Mano
At the start of the year, my parents had a family meeting in which my dad proposed we all think of one word that would be our primary focus for the entire year. Being that I would graduate high school and begin a new chapter of my life in college in the fall, I decided that my word would be “trust”. Little did I know how much I would truly need to focus on that word throughout the year’s unexpected events!
In August of 2018, I began my first semester of college at Dallas Baptist University. I faced several obstacles that caused me to question what God was going to show me and how He could possibly allow me to see the other side—or the “light at the end of the tunnel”. I can humbly proclaim now, though, that there has never been a period in my entire life where I have felt as close to God as I did during this first semester at DBU. God revealed Himself to me in so many ways through my “hurdles” and I was able to only trust Him more and surrender my life to Him over and over again. Through the ups and downs, I have seen how much individual growth in my faith can also strengthen my relationships with others! I have seen first-hand why I must stay grounded in Christ because He is what constantly sustains me!
While I like to think my life is very interesting, this isn’t supposed to be about me! On December 28, 2018, my great-grandmother, Mano, passed away at 93 years old. However, we are viewing her funeral as a time of celebration; she lived a wonderful, full life and now she can spend eternity with Jesus and Paw-Paw and so many others. In reflecting over Mano’s life and the impact she had on me, I couldn’t help but think of my past semester and how her life has been an encouragement to me to be positive and trust in God. Every time I saw Mano, she would manage to make at least a few jokes that would be followed shortly after with her light, tinkling laugh. She had such a beautiful smile and used every chance she had to show it off! I know Mano loved Jesus because His Light so easily shined through her! She is such an encouragement to me because of her optimism and her love.
Mano experienced much adversity, especially the last few years of her life. I know it must’ve been extremely difficult when Paw-Paw passed, but she clearly trusted God’s timing and His blessing through it all. Her face would bright up the second she realized we walked in to come visit her. Even though Paw-Paw wasn’t physically with her any longer, she still had us—her family—and it was evident she treasured us as much as she did Paw-Paw. Mano and Paw-Paw together created such a beautiful, loving family that has passed down through their youngest grandson—my dad, Brady—and I hope to continue that one day (in the far future; don’t worry, Mom)! In 2016, Mano suffered a hard fall that caused her to go downhill quickly, and we thought the end was near. However, God blessed her with two and a half more years of life! I feel like I was the one who was truly blessed, though. I loved watching Mano interact with others because despite her own pains and difficulties, she would put those aside to talk with us and of course, make a joke or two. It caused me to wonder if I would be as happy and easy-going as Mano when I was in her position!
Looking back at my first semester of college, I am thankful for the trials I went through because, like James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” I am thankful because I was able to grow closer to the Lord and cling to Him no matter what; a valuable trait I have seen through Mano’s long, loving life! A few years ago, Grammy expressed to me that one of her favorite verses is Nehemiah 8:10, “…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” I have also fallen in love with that verse because the Lord’s joy is what brings us through our tribulations and therefore strengthens us! This, furthermore, reminds me of Mano. The joy of the Lord was clearly her strength through her last years! No one could have been as happy as she was if they didn’t have the Lord’s joy in their heart like Mano did!
Lastly, I wanted to end with something I mentioned earlier, and conclude with how both Mano and Paw-Paw together impacted me. They remind me of Deuteronomy 6:4-6 where it is very close to the end of Moses’ life and he is reminding the Israelites before he dies to remember the commandments God gave them and to always love the Lord, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.” He even goes on telling them to pass them on to their children and always talk about them, as well as write them on the doorframes to their houses. This section from Deuteronomy 6 reminds me of Mano and Paw-Paw because a few thousand years later, they still carried out Moses’ words. Everyone who knew them knew their faith and they lovingly impressed them on their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I will forever be thankful I could be with Mano and Paw-Paw for all the years I had with them because not everyone can say that about their great-grandparents, and even more, hardly anyone can say they learned so much from their great-grandparents that encouraged them in their first semester of college. The one underlying factor I have seen through Mano and Paw-Paw is love. They never ran out of it and they were both overflowing cups of love for the Lord and for others; and, in the end, isn’t that what God calls all of us to do anyway? Thank you, Mano and Paw-Paw for all you have given to my family, and to me, the past several years. I cannot wait to see you both again one day!
I hope I can live my life as even a quarter of a reflection of Mano’s as a sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother—never ceasing to love the Lord and love others!
With Love,
Katelyn Ashleigh Pyle
Mano, you lived a life worthy of your calling from Jesus Christ, impacting multiple generations during your time with us…
I appreciated this note from the back of your Bible, “Death is simply putting out a candle because morning has come.”
May you enjoy the new day!