The Cloud of Witnesses – Part 2

Who Is Your Madea?

The Shoulders Upon Which We Stand – Part 7

We’re talking about the cloud of witnesses, those who have lived and are now watching us from Heaven. In my previous web-post, I highlighted an eXtra-man from my mother’s side of the family. In this web-post, I wish to highlight one from my dad’s side of the family. If my last post touched your emotions and brought back memories of a loved one who’s impacted your life, that’s great. That means you had an eXtra-person who impacted you and because of their impact, you can be extraordinary. I believe that people, past, present, and future have the ability to make a lasting impact on each of us. It’s up to us to recognize their incredible contributions. This next eXtra-man is an eXtra-woman who too is seated in the great “cloud of witnesses” watching us run our race. Her name is Lula Mae Clark and we will call her Madea.

Tyler Perry today has a lock on the name or role better known as “Madea”. If you search the internet, mostly what you’ll see is the character he portrays as “Madea.” You see Madea is not a name, it’s a position that belongs to that family member who is the supreme mother figure. Madea is generally the wisest and eldest of the mothers in a family. She’s the matriarch. While Tyler Perry’s depiction of “Medea” is comical in nature. Madea is far from comical and the most respected person a family has. She’s usually not one you can laugh at and live.

Tyler Perry has his Madea character in plays and knowing his story, he had one in real life. In the same way, our family also had our own version of “Madea”. She was special, one of a kind, and no one could compare.

In our society today, roles in families are becoming less defined. However, when I was younger there was one role that was undeniable, Madea. Today, she is in the cloud of witnesses in Heaven cheering me on each day. This would be a good time to discuss her super-powers and the impact she left with our family.

She provided a strong foundation.

I believe every family needs a foundation, cornerstone, or it will not stand. Of course, I make this statement only by Madea’s influence. She made certain that she passed knowledge, wisdom, and especially, The Bible down to each generation she had the power to do so. From family to friends to children in the neighborhood, she impacted everyone the same. Her gift was in building the foundation within a person. She knew that life would bring a bunch of falls and if she did her job well enough, we’d never fall too far from grace. She secured our foundation. She made sure we all had a foundation in which a great life could be built upon. She had a gift of starting that building process.

She was a builder of people.

My family would have a lot to say about Madea, but at its core was her gift in building churches which included building people. Her imprint continues today extending across the area in which she lived. The Church was important to her and having a next generation in place to do the work of The Church was her mission. If her life were a movie, she’d no doubt be the oracle in “The Matrix”, the all knowing “Oracle.” There is no question too heavy, too large, or too difficult for Madea. The only problem with having a Madea in your life is trying to do life without Madea. When you’ve had someone so influential and so impacting and so approachable in your life, when that gift is no longer there, one is required to reach down deep to find that piece of her that she planted.

She was a giant of a woman and an irreplaceable gift. X-man? No. eXtra-woman. Lula M. Clark (Madea). Extraordinary Woman.

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