I went home this weekend to attend a celebration of life for my childhood best friend’s mama. I wouldn’t have missed it. This family made an indelible mark on me and even though life moved on, the love I have for them never has. I wasn’t going to write about it but I was journaling this morning and just felt to share this thought that I had:
Linda didn’t DIE. Linda LEFT.
When I looked to my right on the pews beside me and saw the children and grandchildren and great grandchildren…spouses and friends…all with tears freely flowing because of the deep love she had deposited in each of them and the deep love they had for her…it was very apparent that Linda was very much still alive.
She’s simply relocated.
Dead, to me, would imply a finality…and there’s no way finality was present Saturday morning. NO. WAY. Her strong faith and strong love for Jesus grew strong children and strong marriages and strong faith in her family line. It will be carried on for generations and generations to come. The MANY children she taught Sunday school to..who are now adults and were present….she deposited life in them. The church family present…she deposited life in them. The friends present…she deposited life in them. So dead? Nope. Very. Much. Alive.
IF we go through life depositing life…sowing seeds of love and faith and joy and peace and comfort to those around us…those seeds will produce a harvest and there’s no doubt that Linda’s harvest is already growing.
So. Today. She’s not here. She’s there. Relocated. Fully alive. Maybe she’s walking and talking with Paul or most likely the woman at the well. Maybe she’s getting a tour of her new place by Jesus himself…I’m sure he was excited for her to be there with him. Maybe she’s bragging on her children to Deborah or talking about her husband to Mary.
And as for here on earth…today she will be in a doctor’s office, a classroom, a grocery store, a daycare, a kitchen table at dinner, a quiet den with her beloved Dave.
She’s alive because he’s alive. Her profound impact was rooted in her love for him.
She’s not dead. She simply left.
xox.eb
I love this.
Love this one. Not here…there. 🙏🏻🩵