My friend Jaqi

Several weeks ago I had the honor of assisting in planning the celebration of life ceremony for one of the ladies in my Bible study. Her death came as a complete shock. She loved coming to Bible study and attended every ladies event we had a church. She loved people and laughter and all things that bring life. For several years she weekly shared her prayer requests and they were much like everyone else’s in the room…healing for a sick friend, prayers for a job, a car, wisdom and strength for decisions needing to be made, and that she would have the right words when the time came to share the gospel with people she loved. Her deepest desires were to see her loved ones joined with Christ. 

Her family had beautiful ideas for the service. It was lovely in every way it could be. And I was able to do something I never imagined getting to do. I stood up in front of that room of grieving loved ones and broken family and was able to share the gospel in the clearest way I knew how. I get to speak from the pulpit quite a bit with various women’s events and from time to time on Sunday mornings for our church family, but this was the first time in many years that I saw my hand shaking as I reached to turn a page in my Bible. I felt an incredible weight upon me to bring this important message clearly and with the grace that only Christ has. The ladies in our Bible study were there and they too had been praying for this moment. We share a deep hope that the Holy Spirit brought revelation to hearts that morning and the seeds were planted, watered and harvested. 

When the service was over and we gathered together in the fellowship hall, various members of the family thanked me for my words, another woman asked for a copy of my notes.  Another co-laborer on the mission field told me I explained the gospel from the aspect of freedom in Christ beautifully. My favourite comment was from an older woman in our church who often asks me to slow down when speaking. She said there was a specific gentleness in my voice as though water was slowly trickling over rocks in a stream. In my mind, it is Christ alone who brings that kind of gentleness. My thoughts frequently drift to the family members and friends we hosted in our church that day. I pray they come to know Jesus personally and that their lives are changed by His comfort, love, and sacrifice.