2010 so far

I am late in writing this. And that's for several reasons. The biggest is that I was in a daze for a while - lots know this - but we lost a new and dear friend to us here in January. Her name was Aimee Powell and she was precious.

She was the first lady (other than Mary) that I met and sat beside at an Uptown lady's brunch. I really enjoyed her from the first conversation to our last. She was in our life group (Dave and Mary Kulp's) and she was very much there the Sunday night before she would die (that Thursday).

On that very night - Aimee's last night of life group - we began studying the book of Jonah. I have not ceased to think about Aimee very much being present that night in discussion - while it was an overview of the book of Jonah, we had great discussion. What blows me away is that as we have been studying the book and will complete it this Spring, she is present with Jonah. Dwelling with he, Samson, Christ Himself, in His full glory.

As our pastor shared at her funeral, "To die in Christ is not bad. It is to live a life without Christ and worse to die without Christ where sorrow is truly placed." And as Dave Kulp shared at her funeral "Aimee longed for several things here on earth - financial rest, emotional rest, social rest, etc. And she dwells in a place now where these needs are all realized. They are resolved. She lacks nothing. She stands in a place where the Good Shepherd has wiped the tears from her eyes."

So having only known Aimee for 5 months, I am taken by the way her sweet life impacted mine. I had plans to spend lots of time with her. I wanted her to eat with our family. I wanted her to spend time with my boys. I wanted to grab coffee with her. Lots. But I treasure each and every lifegroup - where I got to hear her heart, intimately. Her desires. Her longings. Her joys and her sorrows.

I am thankful for the way her family impacted her life - as they are full time missionaries in Taiwan. She grew up hearing the gospel, and living it out herself as she moved there at 1 and left there at 18. She experienced two parents whose lives represented the sacrifice of extended family, American comforts, earthly gain in order to live out the gospel. She knew nothing else in parents. And that product - what was produced in precious Aimee Powell has forever left a significant mark and challenge on me. As a parent. A follower of Christ. Desiring in the utmost to live out the gospel before my children.

So Aimee's death - and her life - have put me in a fog of contemplating life, with Christ, and death, with Christ. And I've resolved that the promise of eternal life that is found Christ Jesus, is comforting and truly conquers the sting of death. I am thankful for eternal life - I am thankful what Christ accomplished for my sake on His cross and I'm thankful that when I die - I gain Him and His full glory.

*sweet Aimee on a recent teacher mission trip to Peru.