Beatrice Helen Bustard
Proverbs 31 :10-31
First found the Lord in the late 1950’s, I believe it was 1957 in the little village of Blacks Harbor , New Brunswick , Canada . Her eldest son William Henry Bustard was the first to be converted. The pastor at the time was Rev. Arthur McElroy, a great man of God, a real Shepherd!! He with the leading of the Spirit and much love and wisdom lead mother and Dad and the rest of the family through the first few years of their walk to a victorious life living for God!
I being the 17th child and youngest of the line of girls spent many days and nights with mother after the passing of our dad in 1970. It was a very sad time for all and so many times we would find mom in her room with the door shut on her Knees crying out to God!! To the 11 year old girl at the time, I shrugged it off in my mind saying ``mothers praying again ``! But now as a 50 year old mother of 3 myself I find myself in my own special prayer spot doing exactly as she had done for me and my siblings! I can still recall 3 missionary plaques on her bedroom wall that she supported faithfully! She was their partner in missions both in finances and more so in prayer! Her dollars would not have amounted to much that she would have given even thou she had given all she could , but OH her prayers would have been priceless , because she knew how to call on her God !Setting a great example for her children to follow.
Mother would have been only about a year old in her walk with God when she lost her son Howard, killed on his way home from Germany after serving in the army ! She learned quickly in her walk to draw strength from her ever caring and comforting GOD!! She was pregnant for me at the time of this catastrophe in her life! Was she about to give up and throw in the towel, never! That is when she leaned into His everlasting strong arms even more! Five months after her son’s death I was born and thus with the name Faith!!! I believe with the help of the Lord as well I played a little part in helping her in this time of grief!! J That is just my little since of humor!! They said I looked like a monkey and that made her smile all the time!!!! but there is one thing I am ever so thankful for is that she got up and continued on in her precious journey , cause if she had not , would I have had the opportunity to lead my children and now see them lead their children on this same awesome walk with God !!! OH how I love HIM and Oh how HE loves me !!!!! God Is so Good!!
As I look back over the years I remember mother working at the factory in the Harbor everyday! But I also never remember a time when she would stay home from church because she was too tired ! She was faithful in her attendance to the House Of God! That included prayer meetings as well as bible Studies ! We were not blessed in our home growing up with all the appliances that I have in my home today ! But mother worked day and night in the home and out for her family and yet stayed faithful to the things of God !! Without complaint !!! WHAT an example !!! I could never fill those shoes! She also taught Sunday School and spent her Saturday evenings preparing her lessons for her kids ! She loved teaching Sunday School !
Lloyd , Morton and I were the only 3 kids living at home at one time. I remember we had a Ford Maverick and Mom had a lot of problems with that car . Many times it failed us and we had to walk to church because it would not start. One winter in particular , I can remember mom sent Lloyd out to warm up the car for church and it was snowing and blowing . He come in with a big smile on his face , saying ``mom that old car is dead again`` , which it was !! But Lloyd was smiling thinking surely its snowing and blowing and cold we will just skip church for tonight !!! What do you think..... by now mom is bent down in our cubbyhole by the old stove throwing out mitts and scarves our way saying `bundle up , it`s going to be cold out there`` !!! We knew its get it on and out the door , we were walking to church , .... mom believed like Canada post ..... neither sleet , rain nor hail would keep us back !!! lol She instilled in us that if we were going to make it then faithfulness had better be an attribute of ours !
Moms testimonies would always end with ``I have no hard luck story to tell , my God has been good and faithful to me , and I am looking forward to seeing Him one day ``!! You know , once again as a child those words never meant a whole lot to me ,but here I am a mom and grand mom looking back and thinking ``you had NO hard luck story to tell `!``......she had every right to complain , life had not dealt her a very fair hand to the natural eye !!But with her bible in one hand , a Sunday School lesson book in the other and her P.I.M
The year 1987 mom became very ill, she had a heart attack that almost took her life ! At that time as well the doctors had discovered cancer in her bowel ! She was in intensive care in the Saint John Hospital and the doctor said you had better call in the family your mom probably isn't going to make it . They said they cannot stabilize the heart because she is bleeding internally from the cancer , and we cannot do anything about the bleeding cause her heart wouldn't take it . It was a win lose situation naturally !!! I remember coming home from Ontario at that time to be with her even though our time was very limited because there were so many of us and we could only be with her a few minutes each at a time .... that was hard on us all ! She was a special woman to all her kids . They finally asked the entire family to please stay on the main floor away from the ICU , if we wanted her to see her youngest son when he arrived at the hospital , he was the only one that hadn't made it home yet! Morton was somewhere in the US at the time preaching revival and was trying hard to get a flight out ! After many hours it seemed he finally arrived and we were all in the lobby to greet him . I remember thinking I am not so happy that you are here right now because this will probably be the end of the road for mom and I sure didn't feel like I was ready to let her go !!! Even though i was a young mother of 2 myself I felt like I still needed her around for a few more years . Morton left us and went on up to her room , he told us later as did mom , that he hugged and kissed her and asked her ,`` mom , what do you think , do you want to go to be with Jesus or would you like to hang around a little longer and get to spend some time with your grand kids !!`` She looked up in her weak state and her response was I am ready to go home but and OH how I loved the BUT !!!!!!!! I have too much to live for right now , I have so many grand kids I want to get to know , they need me !```` A simple prayer of Faith was prayed by both Morton and Mom, God honoured the ever faithful Grandmother on that dieing bed that day and gave her back to us for another 12 years .... planting seeds of faith in her children's children !!!
It came time again in 1999 to let her go for the final time to be with Jesus !! This time gathered around her bed was tons of grand kids , stroking her silver uncut beautiful hair !!! Her kids and grand kids and even some great grand kids stood together in her room singing songs about heaven and praising God For such a wonderful mother , grandmother and great grandmother that she had been to us !! What a pure example of a Godly woman , who spent her life unselfishly giving to her family and setting a standard to be followed in true fellowship with God ! She believed if you were going to live it then you better walk it and talk it !!! My husband as well held my mom his mother in law in very high esteem !! He would jokingly say to me , man if you were a quarter of a woman your mom was I would have it made LOL ....... hmmmm maybe he really meant that !!!:( ...... She has been a wonderful Christian example to all she was in contact with !
The day came when my sis and I entered the morgue where my mom lay on the slab of wood her neck elevated on a neck rest , her beautiful silver white hair hanging down freshly washed waiting for her girls once again to do it up beautiful as she so liked it to be done !!!! When I walked to her side , something I didn't think I would ever have the strength to do , as my family all know , I did not handle the sickness or death of my mother well at the time ! I touched the hard shell of her body and it was then I realized this is but a shell .... her Spirit lives on and a peace that passes all understanding flooded my very mind and I made a small commitment to mom and to God , Lord I will never be all that she was for You but if there is such a thing as a mantel to be picked up from a God fearing mother let me take this one and God help me raise my children to walk in the light and not to have fellowship with darkness , if it is possible let me have my mothers mantle and set an example for my children and grandchildren so that this heritage will continue from generation to generation !!!!! The words of the mortician were `this truly was a house where the Holy Spirit Lived `` Thank you Jesus for God fearing mothers that are not afraid to take a stand and walk in full truth without fear or wavering !!! I have been Truly blessed to have had Beatrice Helen Bustard as my mother !!!
