Once In A Lifetime (In Memory of Mrs. Betty Lott)

Thursday, January 27, 2011
Once in a Lifetime. There are people that we get the honor of meeting during our lifetime that are truly significant. They don’t blend into a crowd in our minds – they stand out. For one reason or another, they are once in a lifetime people – true blessings to know. Mrs. Betty Lott was one such person.
When I came to Victory in February of 2003, it didn’t take long to begin to learn that Mrs. Betty was quite the character. Any time spent around her at all would show you that she had a personality that was definitely memorable. She was the sister of my pastor’s wife, Joyce. And there wasn’t anyone in that church family that would stand up any stronger for a pastor than she would for Bro. Ben.
Several years ago a few of us from Victory travelled to Monticello for a funeral of a family member of Bro. Ben, and I was with the group that rode with Mrs. Betty. After the funeral we all went to eat at Wendy’s somewhere between here and there. She began to share stories from her life with us, and man did she keep us entertained!
Her son laid down his life fighting for freedom in Vietnam, and there wasn’t a mother any more proud of a son than she was of him. Her husband was also retired military until he passed away years earlier, and the love story those two apparently had was second to none. She truly had a remarkable life, though she didn’t view it as anything out of the ordinary.
They lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico for years. Every time we drove through Albuquerque traveling with our students for mission trips, it became a tradition to call Mrs. Betty if it wasn’t too late, so she could talk to us while we were in her old stomping grounds. She would ask if we were passing certain landmarks, and, like clockwork, we would begin to see all the things she told us to look for.
She had so many speeding ticket stories it was unreal. She didn’t just like to go places – she liked to go places fast! Her body was racked with arthritis in her later years, so much so that her hands were drawn up, and it was amazing that she would even walk on her feet. She had been the victim of numerous strokes, which ultimately took her to the rehabilitation/nursing home where she would spend her final days. But nothing could ever stop her or hold her back. She really was a remarkable lady.
And so it was that yesterday morning her fight with pain in her body ended. I can just see her as the angels escort her in to the very presence of her Savior, who she loved so dearly. I can just imagine she took off running towards Him as soon as He came into view. I’m sure she took plenty of time with Him. And as soon as she began to explore this place she’d looked forward to for her entire life, it would be my assumption that she hasn’t stopped running those streets of gold since.
Mrs. Betty Lott was a blessing to know. She was a friend. She’ll be missed. But with her home going, heaven has gotten just a little bit sweeter for all of us who had the once in a lifetime joy of knowing her here.


That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake

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