Praise in My Heart and on My Lips

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him. ~Psalm 28:7


Today my cousin, Alana (you met her below in the Old Man Cory post), has to deliver a eulogy. Her dear friend, sister in the Lord, and long-time bible study buddy, Teresa, passed away on Tuesday after a long battle with ovarian cancer.

While we were wringing our hands anticipating the outcome of the election, T (as she was affectionately known) was reveling in the presence of her King. It leaves me awe struck. Many that I love have gone ahead of me, but every time I imagine them entering that place, it boggles my mind. They have seen Him face to face and I just can't imagine what it must be like.

I never had the opportunity to meet T, but Alana loved her dearly; saw her through her illness like a sister would, and offered encouragement to T's husband and children like they were her own family. Alana has shared with me the kind of woman T was, and I wish I had known her; she was remarkable.

Here's just a little of what Alana has to say about T:
"...T was so loving, kind, compassionate and tender, yet she could and would hold me accountable. She brought Jesus to people. Her character and actions shined of Jesus right to the end. She especially had a heart for children. She often talked about her job as a nurse in pediatric ICU and I can just see her holding those babies, loving them to good health. She was a second Mom to a lot of our children and a genuine Mom to those kids who didn't have one..."

...and Alana will go on to describe what an incredible mother T was to her own children, the kind of wife she was to her husband and what he meant to her, and about the kind of friend T was to so many. T didn't just impact her immediate circle of family and friends, she touched a whole community, as she was instrumental in organizing an annual cancer walk in her area to raise funds for the fight against ovarian cancer. She left her mark... a legacy.

Legacy by Nichole Nordeman was one of T's favorite songs.

(turn off the blog music)

T, from what I've been told, you did choose to love, and loved well. You pointed to your Savior over and over. You left a mark that glorifies Him. And you were a child of mercy and grace.