Remembering Loved Ones
There are so many ways I could describe yesterday. There were reunions of friends, laughter, remembrance, memories, and tears. When loved ones leave this earth, even when it is expected, it is still an emotional time. The common theme I kept hearing at this service was dedication to Jesus, Family, and a long life lived to the fullest.
I was not a blood relative, but the way I came to be a part of Gwen's story and her family could only have been orchestrated by God. When I started working at Fidelity Investments in 1995, I would occasionally stop at the Korner Market in the community where I lived. Sometimes when I would go in, there was a guy about my age working there, and one day he saw my badge. He asked me about the company and stated that he had thought about applying for a job there. We had some small talk, and as I left the store, I really didn't know what would happen. Over the next few weeks, I learned that he was offered a position there, and on the day of the tour of our floor, I spotted him in the group of new hires. Little did I know that when the new hires were assigned to teams for job training and shadowing, he would end up on my team.
Each day we talked more and learned that his mom and my grandma attended school together. His mom had him later in life, and my grandparents and parents had their children very early in life. I wanted to clarify that so you would know how his mom and my grandma could be in the same grade. As our discussions grew and lunch conversations went deeper, we figured out that my grandpa drove a milk delivery truck for his grandpa. So, our connections on this earth started way before we were even born.
As time went on, we started making connections outside of work and did a few trips with friends. One big question that came up was my thoughts on church and where I was attending. I had a lot going on in my life at that time, so I wasn't attending church and it wasn't a priority. Almost every time we got together, we ended up talking about church and my relationship with God. I explained why I wasn't attending and why I had never made the decision to follow Jesus. Once those questions were answered, he continued to invite me to attend church with him and his family. Because of his persistence, I eventually agreed. The Sunday I said I would go, his father was ill, so he and his family were unable to attend services that day.
I decided I would go ahead and enter the building, since that was before cell phones. I figured I would find a seat and continue to wait on them. When I entered the church, I was concerned about going in alone since I didn't know anyone, but I didn't feel like a stranger. Although I didn't really know anyone there, everyone was extremely friendly, not overbearing, and asked questions to try to figure out who I was and how I ended up there. I soon realized that my connection or non-connection with the community was not important. They were just glad I came. My new friend and his family never showed up that day, but everyone at that church knew him and his family. I listened to the sermon that day. Straight from the Word of God. No strings attached. No fluff. Simply powerful words that revealed sin and our need for a savior. I had heard these words before as a child and in my early teens, but this was the first time I really understood what Jesus did for me. If I continued living in my selfish and sinful ways, I knew the consequences. Eternal torment in a very hot place, completely separated from God. But that was not the end of the story. Jesus doesn't want that for anyone, and He died on the Cross to take away the punishment that I deserved because He loves you and me.
I didn't go forward that day, but the Holy Spirit was weighing heavy on my heart. The next day, I did not go to work. In my room, completely frustrated with the choices in my life, I called the church office and accepted Jesus on the floor in my bedroom. Then, in the following months, I made a profession of faith at that church and was baptized.
As my relationship with Jesus grew, so did the relationship with my friend. He was my connection to the youth ministry at that church, which Jesus later placed on my heart and guided me to serve Students and Families for the next 30 years of my life. If you have kept up with my blog or social media, you will know that I am still doing this today.
I share this because Gwendell Lou Rust Taylor went to be with Jesus on June 20, 2026. She was with us on this earth for 90 years! That is a feat on its own. I only knew her for 30 of those years, and I am grateful. On top of her kindness and witnessing everything she did for her family, seeing how she served Jesus, I cherish the things we did together. See, I was able to be a part of her family — being in her son's wedding, watching her granddaughter Olivia grow up, going on family vacations; the list goes on.
The thing that I remember most is how much we included her even as she got older. For many years we would go trick-or-treating as a family with her granddaughter. We had her dress up as so many characters. I think the cutest one was when we dressed up as the Peanuts gang and she was Snoopy. Now that's a grandma who goes above and beyond. Every time I think about those moments, it brings me joy, but it's one of the things I miss the most.
Reggie, Gwen, Carol Jo, Olivia, and DeWayne
Getting ready for trick or treat October, 2016. Yes, we convinced Gwen to go too!
I was asked to close out her memorial service with a prayer. Although I don't remember everything I said, there was a message that lay heavy on my heart:
Thank you, Jesus, for every second you allowed us to be a part of Gwen's story.
If anyone has family that is older, help us to include them in everything.
May the legacy that Gwen left not be wasted. May we learn from her example of kindness and service so that we may continue to spread the gospel of Jesus to a lost and dying world.
14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. -James 4:14 (ESV)
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29“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates. - Proverbs 31:29-31 (ESV)
