Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
Wednesday July 23, 2008

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 KJV

Hi, my name is Michael Lambert, Sandra Kay Lambert's son. It is my privilege to relate to you a tribute to my mom. I started out with John 3:16 because it represents her greatest gift to me, an introduction to a faith in Christ. The seed that she planted in me has given me a happy marriage, three beautiful children, a yearning to leave a noble legacy, and above all else, a love for God.

My experience as her son was an extremely blessed one. She was incredibly nurturing and sacrificing. Early in our family life together Dad was in the Navy when I was a young child. Dad went away for 5 to 6 months at a time during the early years of the Vietnam War. Mom and I spent a lot of time together. When we lived in Alameda, she would take me to the beach nearly every day so that I could play in the sand. It seemed as if it was the biggest sand box in the world, complete with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. What seemed normal to me was to her a most amazing adventure. She moved away from her idyllic world of 1950's Americana and jumped into an unknown world of a new marriage, a new son, a new location, and a new world that was not kind. Our country was in the midst of a cold war, great social change, and the loss of John F. Kennedy.

As the fabric of our country was being strained, she was dealing with life as a military wife. Loneliness was only offset by her taking care of me. The family she grew up with was in Wichita, Kansas and was not available to help.

I say all of this, because in her young life, she was a great stabilizer. She was a partner to my Dad who both believed all could be overcome by their devotion and love they had for each other. Next month, August 2008, they would have celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary.

Over the years I remember her compassion. I remember one time in particular when Dad was about to set sail on a tour of duty over seas. I remember looking up at the ship trying to look for Dad. There were sailors looking over the rail of the ship waving to their families. I could not find Dad. Suddenly, mom said, "Blow your daddy a kiss!" I said, "I don't see him! Where is he?" She said, "Blow a kiss because your kiss will find your Daddy!" I'm sure my kiss found my Daddy. She was a great stabilizer.

I had a lot of earaches when I was a kid. I remember her rubbing warm oil in my ears and staying up with me all night because the pain hurt so much. My head would be on her lap into the long hours of the night comforting me with hot water bottles and hugs. Even on normal nights, I remember as a kid looking up at her when I said my prayers. She would stroke my hair and looked at me with great love before she said good night. And when she left the room, how patient she was when I tried to think of any old thing to get her back into my room for one more hug. The shirt moved in my closet. There was a cat looking in my room from the tree outside. Something made my nightlight flicker.

She was there for me in my adult years too. I was challenged so much by relationships and employment in my twenties and early thirties. No matter what happened, mom was there to sympathize, to help me up and to help me get on my feet. Whatever my crisis of the hour was, she empathized and didn't criticize. She cheered me on and cheered with persistence. Recently she told me how wonderful my life has turned out. She was incredibly proud of her grandchildren, and greatly satisfied that I had found my soul mate.

I'm sure each of you was affected by Mom's life. Each of you has a story similar to mine relating to her kindness. She found a great deal of satisfaction at Varian and working with her friends there, ironically on the very same equipment that was used to try to save her life. She loved RV life and treasured each of her friends from the Venture Outers RV Club. There are people who shared in her love of country music, rubber stamps, and collecting. Each one of you who shared in her life, I say thank you! You gave mom a wonderful gift in your friendship.

She wanted to live here a bit longer. There were many unfulfilled dreams, and adventures planned but not realized. But I wish to comfort those who had made those plans with her by reading John 14:1-2.
As Jesus said to his disciples "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you."
I can just imagine our Mighty God in Heaven accommodating Mom with her own RV clubhouse, setting up crafts and games, and a little bit of country music for all of her friends and family to enjoy some day.

We will miss you Mom. I love you. We love you. We will see you later.

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