Going with God

Recently, there was a dear 69-year old lady in our church who passed away due to lung cancer. Mrs. Barbara Thompson was a tremendous blessing and an example of Christian character all the way to her last conscious moments.

Going to and from her radiation and/or chemotherapy treatments, she trusted the Lord He would do what was best for her - regardless of whether or not it was healing. She fully knew and understood that it might be God's will to allow this disease to bring her into His presence, and she accepted that with grace and dignity.

She told me once a few weeks ago that when she went in for her radiation treatments, there were all these sad and down-in-the-mouth cancer patients up there with her, waiting or receiving their treatments, too. She understood their sadness, but did not wish to participate in it. She said she'd march in there and say things like, "Hey - put on a happier face - we're gonna beat this together!" She said she tried to make the others smile and think about things beside the disease that was slowly killing them. She tried to tell them of the Lord and all that He's done for her.

Mrs. Thompson's trust in the face of death reminded me of another dear lady I had the privilege of knowing many years ago. Her name was Theresa Bartlett and she was one of the most godly women I've ever known. She developed leukemia when she was in her mid-40's. She would try and witness to the nurses and the doctors while she was in the hospital. When she wasn't really conscious and would mumble in her sleep, the nurses said she quoted Bible verses. I have a tape somewhere of her singing, and it still causes me to cry - I still miss her, and I can't wait to see her again!

What a Friend we have in Jesus - what joy and peace in knowing we will see our brothers and sisters in the Lord one day. As this old world becomes more and more ready to receive a decieving one-world leader, (anti-Christ), we know each day brings us closer to our forever home with Jesus! What a glad day of reunions that will be - seeing all our loved ones who died of diseases like cancer having brand new glorified bodies and running the streets of heaven!! And we'll have new bodies too-no more creaky joints and arthritic hands and glasses and dentures and whatever else we may have to deal with - everything will be new and maintenance-free!!!

If you think of it - please pray for Mr. Thompson. He's almost 89 and he's an incredible man, but he deeply misses Mrs. Thompson, and this time of transition will be very hard on him. I think he shows incredible character and strength...Barbara was his second wife; he buried his first wife when she was only 50. I couldn't help but think how terribly difficult it must be for him...having to go through the loss of a spouse not once, but twice in his lifetime. He's a very dear man - we are thankful we have the opportunity to know him and be his friend!