Given by David: In honoring the desires of the family, I was asked to craft a service that would celebrate the life of Marie. It’s not like I know how to do it another way and it’s not like we have to make something up to make us happy regarding Marie’s life. Perhaps we think that it’s tragic that Marie had to go so young. What we quickly forget is that we’ve had a number of family members that also passed away even younger than Marie and the reality is we’re all getting older and many of us have already lived full lives just like Marie if we only stopped to consider it. As great as we think it is to hang on at this side of eternity, everything I’ve read says it’s pretty great over there on the Heaven side. It’s hard to imagine a place where there’s no sickness, death, or crying. It’s hard to imagine being with loved ones again, it’s hard to imagine a place where God’s love and joy is visibly seen. And so as we come to celebrate Marie’s life, let us also remember that she gets the last laugh. Which brings me to the fact that Marie had a great comedic sense. Family members would compare her to Lucille Ball. I’d have to agree. You see, a good comedian allows people to laugh regardless of how they are able to do it. Marie was able to do that. Whether it was a phrase that she heard wrong in a conversation, a funny thing she would say, or an answer that didn’t go with the question, Marie could collect more comedic points than anyone in the family. The Bible doesn’t have a whole lot of good things to say about laughter and usually it’s about God putting an end to the laughter of people who oppress His people. However; there is one passage in Proverbs 17:22, “A joyful heart is good medicine.” If laughter and a joyful heart were equated to medicine than Marie would be considered a doctor. Allow me to share what I think are good qualities of a comedian and use this in sharing Marie’s legacy. A good comedian goes the extra mile to hone their craft. I recently found out that famous comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock would go to small comedy clubs to practice their material so that by the time they perform on HBO or the larger venues, they’ve refined their script to be almost flawless. Marie was an extra mile type of person. I learned to appreciate this in two instances in particular: her attention to detail when it came to noodles. As you heard earlier, Marie loved noodles. And it was Marie that taught me how to cook noodles al dente. The second thing is when it came to handling dish cloths. I remember a time when Marie raised my consciousness of how unsanitary dish cloths used for hand drying dishes could be. Especially if Rick uses it to wipe his fingers after eating potato chips. In going the extra mile, I have seen how Marie has not just responded to request, but have exceeded requests made of her. Whether it was getting coffee for Rick, visiting a friend, or lending jewelry to a relative, Marie was an extra mile kind of person. If you didn’t know, that phrase actually comes from a scripture passage in Matthew 5:41, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” That’s what the good comedians do. That’s what Marie did. Secondly, a good comedian allows themself to be laughed at. Usually we consider it rude if we laugh at people rather than laugh with them. Good comedians have no such boundary. They would prefer to be laughed at because as long as they’re laughing, they’re doing their job. There were so many times in the almost 30 years of family get togethers that I have been a part of, where there was always something to laugh at Marie. As I said earlier, Marie could say something that seemed totally innocent and harmless but just because Marie would say it would get everyone bursting out in laughter. I used to think this was cruel to subject Marie to this, until one time I saw a little smile from Marie after everyone finished laughing. It was almost as if to say I got the last laugh because I got you to laugh. Good comedians know this and I have to think Marie did also. Proverbs 11:25 reads, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” I’d like to think that’s what Marie was doing. She was enriching her own life by bringing blessings and laughter to others. Thirdly, a good comedian is bold enough to say something that will change someone’s life. How many times have we heard a good comedian talk about something that is out of our ordinary life but we are too afraid to bring it up in public only to find a comedian talk about it openly and we roar in laughter. The good comedian is willing to take the risk to speak about the unspeakable. Marie was also bold enough to bring up topics that she felt passionate about. If you’ve ever spoken to Marie about politics, you clearly know where she stands. Yet there was probably no greater life changing topic then when Marie boldly proclaimed to her cousins that she was saved. Marie was not one to mince words about "coming to faith", "believing in Christ", or "following Christ" as we would as adults. Her’s was more the “I’m saved and you’re not” approach. Yet, through her simple proclamation, many people both directly and indirectly came to faith in Christ by someone who invited them which all traced back to Marie. Ephesians 6:19 reads, “ Also pray that God will give me the right words to say. Then I will speak boldly when I reveal the mystery of the Good News.” Marie’s boldness was life changing. And finally, a good comedian has a great sense of timing. For good comedians, it’s not so much what they say as much as it is how they say it. Timing is everything for a comedian. The epitome of a comedian is when they can go out on top not ending with a flat joke; but with a bang. Marie went out at the height of her life: enjoying a fulfilled career, enjoying the company of her beloved husband, and enjoying the love of her grandchildren. There was no long term illness or grave prognosis that forced her to ponder the remaining days of her life. She was able to live an active life to the very end. Psalm 90:12 reads, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” I wonder if the numbering of days were not a chronological scale but rather a scale of life fulfillment. If that were the case, Marie was able to register at the top of the scale. So this afternoon, we are blessed to witness the final act of a great comedian, a great lady, and a great friend. Marie, you’re a tough act to follow but a great act to remember.