A dear Friend

This morning I received an email about a dear friend that passed away last night. She and her husband served faithfully at our church everyday. What a blessing they both are to our church family and community and to my family. I am sure that everytime volunteers were needed for something she was there. I had only really come to know her in the past year, but what a blessing it was to know her. She was a huge source of strength to me.

I think I got to know her best this summer through Adventure Bible Camp. She was there everyday for weeks leading up to the camp helping and directing the prop creation. During the camp she was a group leader and led a large group of children around to the different stations keeping them in line while sharing the love of Jesus with them.
She was there when we needed help with Upward Basketball. She took care of the jersey sizing during registration. She did a great job and when things got busy, I didn't have to worry about if there were enough juice and cookies for the kids, as she made sure that the juice and cookie table was always full. She always knew just what to do.
She was also a great verse listener for KidJAM. She would listen to the kids say their verses after the service and then reward them with a candy. She told me once that she would make sure that the kids knew what the verse meant as well. It was important to her, that the kids knew what they were saying.

She was retired and could have just said that she had done all her work and now she could rest, but she didn't. She was always involved, always sharing the love of Jesus through her actions.

She was a source of strength for me because when my Kalyna passed away, she told me she had lost children as well - (through miscarriage and stillbirth). I saw how eventhough she had so much hurt and loss in her life, she still served God with all of herself and hadn't given up on life, she continued to live out her life for God. Not just getting by, but serving with all of her being. Her strength was truly amazing. I will continue to look up to her and be strengthened and encouraged by her life.

Now she has gone to be with Jesus, and her precious children that were waiting there for her. What a beautiful reunion that must be! And to think that she is the first one to meet our Kalyna is so beautiful as well.

This verse came to mind this morning when I was thinking about her...
Philippians 1:20-24
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far... 
She certainly lived out this verse. We will miss her so much, and I'm sure that her family and her loving husband will miss her ever so much...
What a wonderful, beautiful Godly woman you were and are to me.
May God continue to comfort your family and strengthen your family until you are reunited once again. Thank you for your commitment to serving God and for the example of a Godly woman that you lived out.