The title of this post is also the name of the Priscilla Shirer study that I began in January of this year. This 6 week study is still not complete. Talk about a life Interrupted...
Our bible study group meets in my home on Monday nights. I can easily say that this is my favorite night of the week. Spending time in God's word with this amazing group of women is something that feeds me in a way that nothing else does. We laugh together, we cry together, and we share our deepest lows and highest highs with one another. Our youngest group member is in her early 20's and our oldest is in her early 60's. It is awesome. But as a group and as individuals we have been tested during this study in ways I could have never imagined. Since January we have had many weeks missed for many reasons (big ones) and it has just further brought home the point made in this study...regardless what gets in the way of us completing our mission or our directive from God, at the end of the day, he will take us right back to the starting point and have us finish the task. And friends, I have every intention of continuing on the road that God has set out for me but if I am to be honest, this last month has been hard. It has been hard in a way I haven't experienced before. Maybe because it is so much at once.
The second week of February my Mother-in -Love became ill. Luckily she is now recovering well and is doing MUCH better. No further details needed because that is not my story to tell but I am just thankful for God's provision for her and His hand in her situation. It was so clear that he held her in and through all of it.
In the midst of that, we also became aware of some medical issues that my Dad has. They are big and scary and not yet "fixed" as it is an ongoing process. I am having to trust God in a big way. And I am and will continue praying hard through this. I have always felt especially blessed to have the father I do. He is not my biological father. (My biological father is deceased). But he raised me. He loved me when I was unlovable. He has supported me. He is one of my favorite people in the whole world. I could not love him more. I am so worried about him but I am working very hard to turn that over to God.
The most devastating thing to occur in the last month was the tragic loss of my friend, and our church's children's minister, Camille Coats. I have wanted to write about this for the last 4 weeks but have been unable to do so because quite frankly, I am still overwhelmed with emotion. There is not a day that goes by that I do not cry at some point during the day as I am reminded of Camille. Or I think of something to tell her about the children's ministry. Or we do something with the kids at church like Palm Sunday or the annual Easter Egg Hunt and all I can think about is how much she would have enjoyed it and how well she would have pulled off the event.
Camille was one of those people of whom it can easily be said "To know her is to love her". She was so filled with joy and a true love for the Lord. I had the unique opportunity to meet Camille and show her around on her first visit to our church. On that very first visit , when I took her upstairs in our children's building, she immediately started engaging with the kids that were there for Awana that night and even got down on the floor and started helping some of them work on their bible verses.
That was the thing about Camille, she never met a stranger and everyone was drawn to her. Later that same night I sat on the committee that interviewed Camille. Going into the interview I worried that she might be too young to take on such a large job. But following my time with her that night and the interview, I left that room and I remember telling our associate pastor that I thought she was exactly what we needed. It just felt right.
I think what hurts the most about the loss of Camille is that I don't know if SHE knew how loved she was by all of us. She was still finding her way in ministry at our church. But what she didn't realize is that even though she was younger than many of us in years, she was so much more mature than most of us in her walk with God. She radiated a love for Jesus that was undeniable. She did more for the kingdom of God in her short time on Earth than many who have been here three times as long. And if her life has taught us anything it is that life is precious and we need to not waste a minute of it worrying about earthly things. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus and put our focus on growing His kingdom while we are here. Just as Camille did.
I am not alone in my grief over this great loss. I know that. I cannot imagine the grief her family must feel. I pray for them and her boyfriend Brad and his family daily. Will you please join me in that?
As a church we plan to do many things in the future to honor Camille...both big and small. we will make sure that her memory stays alive in the memory of the children she loved so much. I know those of us that loved her will never forget her.
