Warren's Tribute to His Mother - Cath Hodge - on 26/6/08 at Armadale Baptist Church

Firstly I’d like to personally thank all those who have come tonight to join us in offering thanksgiving for my mother’s life; including those who have come right across from my church at Point Cook to support Raelene and I and Dad. Mum sang at Point Cook last Christmas morning … “Make me a Channel of your Peace” Mum sang, with Raelene joining her on the choruses, and this was such an outstanding contribution to our worship that day. Mum’s singing was one of her crowning glories and came from deep within her heart of love and faith.

My childhood was marked with constant encouragement and belief in my ability to learn, mature and achieve. I was of course blessed to grow up in this Christian family, and again blessed to grow up in this church, watching both Mum and Dad serve their Lord and God’s people, in so doing learning how the Church is the place where faith is nurtured, tested and given arms and legs. Mum followed Jesus into serving others.

It was Mum’s father, Pa Brumby, who indoctrinated me into a love of football. But I didn’t come to follow his team Hawthorn, or Mum’s beloved Essendon, but the Mighty Blues. When Mum & I used to listen to the Essendon/Carlton games on the radio, we could barely stay in the same room, so high did passions rise. But we did listen to the 1968 grand final together in the dining room at Flowerdale Road – Carlton fell in by three points. There we were again in 1993, watching TVs in different parts of the house – however the Baby Bombers beat Carlton by a whole lot more than I want to remember. Raelene and I didn’t stay for tea that night … I wanted to go to the movies to forget the game.

Of course football was not the only thing we discussed over the lunch table, when I still lived at home. The strength of our relationship was shown as we passionately yet peaceably debated politics and theology. Mum loved to get my take on what the women were discussing at Bible Study, or the preacher had said in the sermon. Mum was always willing to take on board another point of view and weigh it up, and with great integrity either shift a little bit or otherwise stand her ground. Mum was inspirational in her love for the Bible; it was always there in various rooms, with notes stuck in it and a pencil nearby. Also you just knew you were being constantly prayed for as well as loved.

When thinking about this I thought about Mum being the epitome of the Beatitudes of Matthew 5 and the ‘Fruits of the Spirit’ of Galatians 5; there was humility, gentleness, strength, courage, faithfulness, purity, patience, kindness, generosity, and a forgiving nature. Mum’s very life was a much greater sermon on God’s grace than I could ever give, than Andrew could ever give, than even F W Boreham could ever give.

One of my most wonderful memories is coming to choir practice here with Mum, and sitting over there in the choir stalls through the 1980’s, with Yvonne and a parade of other singers, and enjoying every moment of the fun and the serious rehearsal involved. Doing crosswords together was always interesting and enjoyable. Mum was also able to endure and hang-in through my down times, and times where I didn’t know where I was headed; Mum’s concern, love and support only increased. And then there was those stunning cure-all “favourite cakes”, which I received another big batch of recently.

Snippets of wonderful memories with Mum will flash in and out for the rest of my life. I got to go with Mum and Dad on a trip round the world in 1971; and despite being an uncooperative 11 year old, we shared times together in many awesome places. I remember being together on the beach in Hawaii, at Disneyland, the Grand Canyon on a really windy day, going up the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower, driving through Britain, training through Italy, cruising through Grecian Islands, waiting on a derailed train somewhere in bitterly cold Switzerland. I remember that Dad and I walked through Florence without Mum, because she had to wash her hair that particular day.

Back at Glen Iris, there was the time when Ray badly influenced me and we blew the peg-tin off the washing line with fire-crackers, pegs strewn all around the back yard, with only silly me left when Mum came running out of the kitchen; or the less than positive reception to the footy being kicked through the bathroom window! Then there was the time when Mum prayed so beautifully at my induction at West Melbourne Baptist in 1994. And what about Mum’s love for Raelene, which was remarkable, unconditional, and of course reciprocated; because I loved Raelene, Mum naturally loved her. Despite her fear of dogs, due to having been attacked by one as a child, Mum even found it in her heart to show affection for our two dogs – Brandi & Monty.

Love you, Mum.