A Good Friend!

This week I found out that a good friend of mine from Oh where we used to pastor passed away, after having a stroke.  She and her husband were much older than Tori and I, but they were the kind of people that were easy to love.  They always made us feel welcome, and I could always count on their support.  Their influence on the church was great, not because they spent countless hours volunteering, (althought they did do a lot around the church), but more because they had raised their family to carry on their influence.  Their daughter was our piano player, and she and her husband were intensly involved in our worship ministries, and their grandson was our youth leader (and is now the senior pastor of a church here in MI).  Their influence in the church was one of peace, and faithfulness.  I’m sure many times they were confronted with those who like to talk about all the problems in the church but they never seemed to go down that path.  I could always count on them to be peacemakers as much as it was within their power to do so, and you could always count on them to follow through with  what they said they would do.  Since we left OH 8 years ago, we haven’t had much contact with them, but my memories live on strong.  Had we stayed in OH, I am sure that we would have be even more grateful than we are now to have known her.  My deepest sympathies, and condolances go to her family.  May God’s peace surround you during this difficult time and may you find joy in the knowledge that one day you will see her again.