Goodbye, Brenda. You're Quite a Gal!

Yesterday at 6 pm AZ time, my niece by love and marriage died of cancer. Her name was Brenda; she was in her 40's with a loving husband, Scott, and two great kids, Allie and Noah. We had prayed for her persistently, along with many others, to be healed. We could get reports on her health on CaringBridge, a wonderful thing, by the way. She was so brave. Brenda was short on inches high, but long, very long, on loving.

I don't think the many people that prayed for her prayed in vain. Although we prayed for a miracle hoping that she might receive complete healing, we are not disappointed. The miracle was in her beautiful attitude. Consistently, she thought of her kids and Scott. The miracle was also in Scott, Allie and Noah, and all the rest of her family and friends. We all got so much closer to God through Brenda, even though she herself went through all kinds of hell. That hellish cancer just finally raped her body, but not her spirit.

She's home now, greeting those who loved her all these years,and possibly lent their prayers to God for her right along with those who had to watch her die. It wasn't pretty, but usually death from this world isn't. I think she's right up there with all the soldier-heroes and policeman-heroes and firemen-heroes that we all read about in the newspapers. There isn't going to be much in the newspaper; she wouldn't have cared, anyway. Her only need is to know her kids are going to be OK and Scott. We'll probably see some hero-stuff from them as they put their lives together again. Scott called her "Dolly" maybe because she was like a lovable doll. He already misses her, just as Allie and Noah do.

Some people just don't stay around long enough for us to get tired of them. Brenda was like that; you didn't get tired of her. She smiled a lot, even laughed out loud sometimes to the point of hysteria! She was fun. And she was full of goodness, kind of like we all hope to be.

The world isn't the same when people we love die. Memories are nice, but they're not always what they're cracked up to be. Brenda? You could touch her; she would touch right back. You could know her down deep. She didn't hide or hold back what she felt.

I think Satan must have brewed-up Cancer. It's like him, I think. He can't touch us; God won't let him. But He sure can scare up a horror that touches us. What else can you call cancer but the devil's work? If the devil can't get us one way, he gets us another. But, God will make up for it in Heaven, don't you think? Life isn't fair, I know, I know! But surely, all those prayers will bring Brenda some special kind of Eternal Peace. That's where I'm putting my hope now.

Thanks for listening. Pray for Scott, Allie, and Noah why don't you? jo

TIME MARCHES ON

The world has a way of popping us on the side of the head every once and awhile waking us up real good. It's like finding yourself on a fast track to the wrong station. "Hey! I didn't want to go there! Yes, I know that's where it's heading, but wait! Wait! W-a-a-ait! Too late. Here we are. In the NOW. Right where I didn't want to be."

Another way of looking at a fast track to the wrong station is--2 Cor.7:11-- "Isn't it wonderful all the ways in which the distress has goaded you closer to God?"

Yep. Time marches on. Today is a new day and it always will be so. Yesterday with all its good and bad has gone and a new day has arrived. The time is ripe for change and it says, "NOW!" Now is the time. God works in the NOW and has charge of the future, so what's the point of being distressed? Yesterday has passed by and been forgiven and forgotten. It has no hold on me, unless I let it. There are those beautiful memories that will never be forgotten, nor should be. But paste them in an album, and get on with the joy of today.

Enter into the NOW with confidence, humor, hope, and a touch of responsibility. Praise God and be thankful that you have been given a NOW!

If you find yourself in this kind of situation I hope you will pray this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I give you thanks for all the new beginnings you have given me. Help me to give thanks, too, for the NOW right now in my life. I pray I will yet have many, many NOWs still to come and that I will always have the insight and desire to look for you in them. Amen

Peace be with you and yours. Looking forward to seeing you in the hereafter.

Fondly, jo