A Beautiful Life.

About two years ago, Mom and her dear friend, Brenda, spoke to a group of women at McLean Bible Church about handling life's crises. The title of their seminar was, Without Warning, and it addressed everything from hospital visits and seizures, to caretakers and long-term healing. A third dear friend, Carol Marshall, was the moderator of the seminar. Sister and I were home from college that summer and consequently trekked over to church to hear Mom share. We snuck into the back of a packed room, and barely managed a quick wave in Carol's direction before the seminar began.

In typical Carol fashion she went right for the meaty questions:

"What do you think prepared you or helped you get through this crisis?"
"Is there a time in all of this that you specifically recall crying out to God?
"How have other Christians come along side you during this journey?"
"Did you ever find yourself thinking,
'Why did God do this? Is this really the life He wants for me?'"
"But with that said, how has God used this crisis in your life to His glory?"

The seminar was a huge success. Mom and Brenda shared honestly, openly. Carol moderated with warmth and enthusiasm. And, afterwards, Sis and I gave each of them a rose and a hug and told them how much we admired them...

Carol Marshall (far left) and girlfriends

This afternoon a funeral service was held for Carol at McLean Bible Church. Sis and I watched via a live Internet feed, from California and New York. After seven painful months of battling pancreatic cancer, Carol was finally home.

But, we miss her here. We miss her warmth. Her enthusiasm. Her love for life and people. Her hugs. And, we grieve for her family... for her daughter, Christine, a newlywed who's just lost her mom. For Andrew and Chip who have also lost their mom. For Frank, who's lost the woman he considered himself so blessed to have found.

A former business partner of Carol's shared that she lived her life with joy, and she faced death with courage. I don't know how many other lives she impacted. I don't know all the stories and the faces of everyone who loved her. But, I do know she made a difference in my life. She reflected the face of Jesus to me, and even though she's now living more fully than ever before in His presence... I miss her here on earth. What a blessing, and a bittersweet privilege, to have known her for the time we did.