Honor … your mother, that your days may be long upon the land Ex 20:12 (NKJV)
Do not forsake the law of your mother; Prov 1:8 (NKJV)
Treat older women as mothers, 1 Tim 5:1-2 (NIV)
This week our spiritual mother, Edie Iverson, was promoted to heaven. While I am saddened beyond words, I am so proud of her strong faith and confident of her rich reward and the great entourage of saints who are welcoming her into paradise and the sweet presence of Jesus.
Gini and I first made her acquaintance when we were newly married and fresh out of Nazarene College in 1972. We were 19 and 22 respectively and in awe of the anointed Pastors we discovered in a dynamic charismatic church in northeast Portland, Oregon. The church was filled with young adults hungry for more of God during the “Jesus People” days of the worldwide charismatic renewal. Many of those earnest young men and women would become life-long friends in the ministry of the Gospel. We were all just beginning the journey of being mentored and equipped by Dick and Edie Iverson, two of God’s most wonderful servants who were so genuine and sincere, that their love and transparency captivated our hearts. At the crossroads of our young lives, little did we realize that our destiny would be forever altered because of meeting the Iversons.
Brother Dick, as we affectionately call him, would become our spiritual Father, and Sister Edie our second Mom. At a time when so many of our generation were searching for role models, we were blessed to find them. When so many were missing parents, coming from broken homes, we were given an extra set of spiritual parents, as wonderful gifts who would radically change our lives.
While Brother Dick was busy preaching, teaching and leading the growing church (Bible Temple would ultimately grow into a mega church of over 2000 people), Edie was behind the scenes counseling, exhorting, encouraging, coaching and building us up. While leading worship she often exhorted the congregation, her best gifts were words of wisdom and faith and an ability to keep us on track and fruitful in all our endeavors.
Both Gini and I have fond memories of Edie leaning close and telling us we could do it. Our novice eyes were widened by her words and our spirits fed by her love. Her confidence in us, combined with a discerning gift for admonition, guided us through the early years of ministry development, marriage and raising our children. She inherited an unflagging and determined faith from her remarkable mother and passed that along to us. I recall, just a few years ago, coming to the realization as to the source of the gift of faith that operates in my own life. I realized it had been imparted and stirred up in me by my spiritual mother as well as my spiritual father. I am especially and forever indebted to Edie Iverson for faith. Is there a greater gift?
Recently, visiting and praying with her in the hospital, we talked but she didn’t talk about herself. She wanted to know how we were doing. Was I taking care of myself? Was my faith strong? I didn’t weep there in the room. I needed to stand strong in faith for my mother. But I wept later, realizing how our lives had been blessed by this extraordinary woman. I weep today knowing I am who I am to some degree, because of my spiritual Mother, Edie Iverson. I honor my mother. I will not forget her laws. And I look forward to seeing her again and celebrating, when faith becomes sight.