The Joy of the Journey: A Tribute to My Mother, Minnie Lee Minter

The Joy of the Journey:

A Tribute to My Mother, Minnie Lee Minter

I asked that you indulge me for just a few moments. My mother passed away at 90 years old a little over a week ago. I would like to take a moment to share some thoughts about her.

My mother’s life was a beautiful reflection of God’s love. Some people fill this world with so much love, laughter, and kindness that their absence leaves a silence words cannot describe. My mother was one of those people.

Mom loved life, her husband, her family, loved people, and most importantly, loved Jesus. Her faith was not simply something she professed; it was something she lived. From childhood, she loved and served the Lord, sharing the Gospel through her words, her actions, and even through music, singing in a trio with her sister and niece. But perhaps her greatest sermon was the life she lived.

Mom loved to laugh and make others laugh. Our home was filled with warmth, affection, laughter, and the delightful aromas from my mother’s kitchen. She was also an exceptionally talented cook.  She loved preparing meals for family, friends, and occasionally even strangers. Cooking was one of the many ways she expressed love. If you came to her house hungry, you certainly weren’t leaving that way. There was always room for one more.

For sixty-six and a half years, she shared her life with the love of her life, my dad, Bobby Minter. Together, they built a home, raised four children, served the Lord, and demonstrated the beauty of enduring love and faithfulness.

Mom adored her children. She celebrated our victories, carried our burdens, and prayed for us more times than we will ever know.  But I believe my mother was born to be a grandma.

Her grandchildren were her heartbeat. She embraced that role with all her heart and soul. She treasured every moment with them, and in so many ways, they were her world.  She could not compliment one of them without going through the whole list of accomplishments of all of them.  She made sure they were all equally loved and valued.

As I reflect on her life, I realize her greatest gifts were not material things. She gave us memories, laughter, unconditional love, and an example of what it means to follow Jesus.

Proverbs 31:28 says, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”  

So, today, I “rise up” and call my mother blessed.  I will miss her laughter, her cooking, the warmth of her home, and the tenderness of her love. Most of all, I will simply miss my mom.

There is something about losing your mother that touches a place in your heart no one else can reach. No matter how old you become, you are still her child.  Yet, through my tears, I am grateful that God chose her to be my mother. And because of the Jesus she loved and served, I have the blessed hope that goodbye is not forever.

Mom, you loved us well. You showed us Jesus. You made our world a warmer, kinder, and more beautiful place.

I will carry your love with me for the rest of my life.

Until we meet again, Mom. I love you.

Your son, Phil