But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. (2 Cor 2:14-16a)

 

To us, she was the Aroma of Life.

 

I have asked my husband Derek to co-write this post with me so this one is from both of us.

This post is a tribute to our beloved sister in Christ, our dear friend, Mary Rodriguez, who unexpectedly went home to be with Jesus on January 22nd, 2021.

Mary was one of a kind. Mary and her husband Milt have greatly influenced our lives. We met them in 2012 and stayed 10 days with them whilst they were planting the church in Perth, WA. They had flown in from the United States at the invitation of the church and they spent nearly six months there pouring out their lives for the church – and we mean pouring out their lives.

I loved Mary from the get-go. Like I said, she was one of a kind. Mary had a strength of character like no other, and one of the visiting brothers coined the expression “Mary up” to mean “now toughen up”! But Mary also had a soft and gentle side and I could see this from the beginning. There was a love in Mary so deep and true for the Lord, for Milt, and for the house of the Lord, the church, and this was evident as she gave out of His life daily. Mary had given up all to belong to this Christ, this Lord. I could see a life surrendered and one that had suffered much loss for His sake.

I remember standing with her in the kitchen where they were staying in Perth as we were washing and drying dishes together one day. I said to her “More than anything, and to my surprise, I have found the most impactful thing in these 10 days has been just observing yours and Milt’s lives and I don’t really understand why”. I recall her reply was “Well, that’s scary!”. Ha. Typical Mary response.

After ten days with Mary and Milt, it would be another five years till we would see them both again in the flesh. We had some email correspondence during those five years and a skype session here and there. Mary and I had personal contact here and there throughout that time also and I was greatly impacted by the Lord through the book she and Milt had co-written called The Gathering.

Whenever I’d look back at Mary, I’d recall that she had a way of just being. From the outside it might be easy to think she didn’t minister much and that Milt did all the ministering. She didn’t do any preaching or teaching per say. She didn’t run anything, she had no spoken ministry you might say. Milt did all the speaking and Mary? Well, she was just there. But that was enough. Her just being there spoke volumes to me in my spirit that I couldn’t understand at the time. There was just something about Mary…

Somehow, the Lord had used Mary to influence me in almost a dormant way since our first times together that seemed to spring up and grow during those five years we were apart between 2012 and 2017. It was as though merely being around her, something had been planted in me. Many times I would face a situation and recall what I had witnessed of Mary and I would come to understand why she was the way she was, why she did what she did, and how she would do it. The life of Christ in Mary had oozed out of her and by being with her I had somehow inhaled this Life that otherwise was invisible and not noticeable.

If you were just looking at Mary in the flesh, you might see just an ordinary woman (though very attractive and with a sparkle in her eye and an awesome smile) sometimes seemingly brash (she wouldn’t mind me saying that), a straight talking, matter-of-fact kinda gal, who often people took offense to. She was quick witted, and always up for a laugh. She must have been a lot of fun to be with for Milt in their growing up years together as young lovers and newly weds in the 60’s and 70’s during the Jesus People movement. Yet, as a sister in Christ, knowing her according to the Spirit of Christ within her, all I could see was Jesus. He had become her All and she clearly belonged to Him. She would say “Well, if that’s what God said He’s gonna do, He’s gonna do it! We might as well just get on board with it!”- that sort of thing. She was obedient, she was loyal, she was unwavering in her commitment and devotion to her Lord and it was evident in the way she lived and spoke.

Then in 2017 Derek and I had the honour and privilege of having Mary and Milt stay with us in our house for one month when they revisited Perth. During this time we were deeply bonded together. They were a very precious gift to us at that time to bring God’s love and wisdom, spiritual parenting, support, much needed joy and laughter and once again, just let the life of Christ flow right out of them into our lives, pretty much I reckon without them even being aware. It wasn’t necessarily anything they said, although they did say very helpful things. It was once again more about what they didn’t say, and just how they conducted themselves, just who they were. And Mary was always this vessel of deep hidden treasure to me. She was the oyster with the most glorious priceless pearl in her and I feel privileged to have seen it. To have seen ‘her’. And that pearl was Christ.

Today, Derek and I had to get out of the house as we have been trying to come to terms with the sense of loss we feel at her parting. We can’t describe the pain we feel for our beloved brother Milt. Mary was his wingman. How he will go on without her by his side we will never know. Only the Lord will enable him. That is a sure thing. Because the Lord knew the number of Mary’s days and a few days ago they were done. He hasn’t left or forsaken Milt. His grace will be sufficient for him to carry on and Christ is “large and in charge” as Milt likes to say. Yet of-course, our hearts ache for him. We love this brother more than words can describe. As we loved Mary.

So this morning we drove to a cafe in Newcastle near the water to help us. As we sat there we grieved heavily for her. I realised that in my life and the hopes for my future, Mary was solid. She was a rock. Mary has been an interwoven part of the Lord’s purpose in my life and I had banked on her being around in the future. She was someone I leant on spiritually even without my really knowing it even though she lived in America and I in Australia. I would often imagine and look forward to the time when I would finally be able to visit and spend time with her in America or she would be here in Australia with us for a time with Milt. Now, I’ve got to admit it, I’m a bit shaky as I face the future in what the Lord has called us to, without her. But God has got it. He has it sorted. There’s a time to mourn and a time to dance. But now is the time of mourning.

As we left the cafe I was reminiscing with Derek about the times we spent with Mary and Milt at the Dome Cafe in a little place called Mandarie in Perth. The Dome Cafes are located all over Perth, just like a McDonalds or Hungry Jacks. During their visit we went to a number of Domes in various places together. Mary always loved the ocean and beach, so she was extra chuffed when she had the opportunity to go to a Dome by the water. After they’d gone back to the States, we sent her a photo of us at The Dome once, and she replied “That’s terrible! It’s freezing here and you’re out in the sunshine drinking iced coffee. You’re mean! Miss you guys”.

Right as we reminisced about Mary and her love of the Dome we drove past a construction site which Derek pointed out had a sign on it reading ‘Doma’. He seemed visibly taken-a-back. He asked me if I knew what that meant? I didn’t, so he explained it to me. It seemed like the Lord had been really listening in on our conversation and had something more He wanted to say concerning His daughter Mary, and on her behalf.

So now, I’m going to hand it over to Derek for his contribution……

The gifts of Christ are invisible to the eyes of the natural man. Those who judge according to the flesh will miss the gifts given by God Himself. They will miss them because they judge by the natural mind, assessing and weighing the weaknesses and flaws of those vessels they look upon. They assess the many imperfections. “These are the very things which disqualifies them”,… the natural mind surmises.

Someone once said, that Jesus will sometimes turn up in ways that make it easy for us to reject Him. Paul said that to some he was the stench of death and to others the aroma of life. He was both received and rejected, as was our Lord.

However, our Lord does not dismiss the weak and foolish things, rather chooses from among those very ones to continue to accomplish His work. We all stand from within that category if we have eyes to see. None excel above or beyond any other. Out from this band God’s mercy chooses from among that rank and file of the broken and dismissed. Mary was one of these ones and we stand alongside her.

Mary Rodriguez was a gift given to the church by God. She may not have been up front preaching or teaching, doing those things we normally associate with ministry. However, Ephesians chapter four speaks about those gifts given to the body of Christ for its up-building. The Greek word Doma is used of these gifts in verse eight which lends greater emphasis to the character of the gift. This is a direct reference to the person themselves being the gift to the church. Mary was one of these ones.

She was one who brought the fragrance of Christ by the very nature of the Lord she submitted to, and followed, and who was living in her. Denying her own life. She spoke words of life. She was a spiritual mother, a spiritual sister, she was a spiritual pioneer. She went ahead of others, serving the Lords church along with her husband and brother Milt, faithfully applying herself while here in all the work the Lord had given her and both of them to do together.

The Gifts of Christ to His church are packaged in humanity. They come in weakness, not in strength. They appear flawed. Not what we would expect of a “Minister of God”. Though simply by the fact that Christ lives in those ones is qualification enough. Mary was one of these ones.

There are those sent by Christ to His church. Ones who have gotten out of the way and have fully yielded to the work of God in their life to will and to act according to His good pleasure. To give Him even a cup of water. Mary was one of these ones.

These ones come as bond servants of Christ. Sometimes leaving a town because they have been rejected. Other times they are received as being bearers of light and a sweet smelling aroma of life unto life. Mary was one of these ones.

They bring the invisible Christ and make Him visible by their obedience and devotion to Him. Being a servant to serve others for Christ sake. To say no to their own life, while esteeming others higher than themselves. Mary was one of these ones.

To those who received her she is and will always be known, received and loved as a bearer of Christ and as a bringer of good news and will be sorely missed as a gift of Gods love to the Church. For Mary Rodriguez was one of these ones.

We love you Mary, and thank You Lord for her life as a gift to us all.

We will miss you, sister.

Love, Derek and Donna