Mother’s Memorial Service
II. Scripture Reading and Comments by Erwin Thompson
Luke 9:62 “And Jesus said unto him, ‘No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit
for the kingdom of God.’”
To properly understand this passage, we need to go back in history to the methods of agriculture that were in use two thousand years ago. Even a hundred years ago, before the use of mechanical power to pull the plow, the quote would still be appropriate.
In those days, the plow was pulled either by oxen, or donkeys. They were in front of the plow. The plow, itself, which turned the fertile soil, was in front of the man responsible. Thus, with everything that needed to be paid attention to in order to perform a good job, was in front of the man, there was no need and no useful gain in looking backward.
My interpretation of this passage in a Biblical reference, is that if one is to truly follow Christian teachings, there is nothing to be gained by looking back to irresponsible days and regretting the selfish indulgences that we had known in our past.
Many people will start a project with high hopes, only to decide that it is just too much trouble. Looking back causes one to lose focus and lose sight of the project at hand. Ruth Evelyn Johnston Thompson always looked forward. Once she started something, she never stopped until it was done. Many if not most of her projects concerned the welfare of others.
Many people are better off, today, for the thought and effort that she put into Teaching and helping her family, the children in her classroom, and anyone else that she found along the way that needed her help.
Going home to visit her parents was a very important thing for Ruth. When we were in the service, in Winona, Texas, I remember the homesick feelings that we both had when we heard the mournful whistle of the train that passed within a block of our home. There is nothing so mournful as a train whistle at midnight when you are a thousand miles away from home, and not sure that you will ever be able to return.
Later years, she would get the feeling of needing to go home to visit. We always tried to accommodate this urge. The family feeling was very strong. They were a close family. They treated me more like a son than a son-in-law.
Lately, she would wake up and say: “I want to go and see my parents, today!” Or: “I want to go home.”
I believe that she has now gone home.
