During my last trip to Haiti, I received terrible news. A good friend of mine, Linda Cooper, passed away. She had been fighting a battle with ovarian cancer, though by looking at her, you would have thought she was strong and healthy. And that's how she looked the last time I saw her. I can't describe how crushed I was at that news. Several days before I had received word that she was in the hospital due to fluid build-up on her lungs. I prayed and pleaded for her healing as I have many times before. The day before I heard she was in the hospital, I emailed to let her know I was thinking about and praying for her. I was very surprised and delighted to find a response from her the next evening! She told me it was good to hear from me and that she had been praying for me every day. She mentioned briefly that she had been sick and in the hospital. (She was never one to dwell on her condition and always tried to focus on the positives.) She finished the email by saying, "I am glad you emailed me. It is such a blessing to my heart to hear what God is doing. It is like a lovely bright spot in my day. Take care and I look forward to seeing you when you return." When I first read her email, I was so touched by her saying that my email was "a lovely bright spot in [her] day." I responded to let her know that her email was a lovely bright spot in mine! Indeed it was. After realizing all she had gone through that week with her illness, I was so blessed that she had taken the time to write me back. And now, it is difficult for me to read the last line of her email without getting very emotional. She was looking forward to seeing me when I returned. It crushes my heart that that reunion never occurred. Though I am thankful that one day it will!

I have been so blessed this past year to have had the opportunity to spend more time with Linda. If you read my blog back in June, I told about going to Children's Hospital with some ladies from church. I mentioned that Linda was the inspiration for that event. We were able to go a second time in July. Again, Linda came up with the craft and brought all of the supplies for us to help the children make colorful and funky bird feeders. The children loved it! I also spent an afternoon with her one day at her house, just sitting around like old friends talking about life, faith, our families, and so on. She encouraged me. I encouraged her. It was such a sweet time together that I will always cherish. Linda was also in my Sunday School class. I always hung on every word she said. She spoke about the faith I believe in, but there is something about listening to someone who is dealing with such a hardship, yet still remains faithful, that can teach, challenge, and encourage you like no one else can.

Perhaps some of the most meaningful times with Linda were during the Radical class I taught. We studied the book Radical by David Platt. Linda heard I was going to teach the class and told me she really wanted to come. With her cancer, some days were better than others, but she told me she would be there whenever she could. And thankfully she was able to come to most of the time. She would share with me outside of class how much the study meant to her and how much it was challenging her. She shared with me her struggles, such as how sometimes she didn't want to ask for prayer requests for herself because she felt selfish when there were so many others needs in this world. She didn't like to be the center of attention. I encouraged her to tell us her requests anytime and that it was our privilege to pray with her about any need or desire she had. But it was incredible to hear her testimony, to see how strong her faith was despite her illness, and she was a huge encouragement to me, constantly challenging me in my own faith! She was always looking to do more for others. It always impressed me how she would share about how the study was challenging her to want to serve in new ways. Here she was, dealing with so much, yet she was constantly thinking about what more she could do to spend more time with God and help others. After her death, I shared with her husband Raymond how I have met so many incredible people throughout my life, but Linda's testimony shines above all the rest as someone who has forever changed my life. Knowing what she was going through and yet hearing her praise God through it all has caused me to examine my own life in many ways. I don't think words could ever express how much Linda meant to me and the impact she had and will continue to have on my life. But I wanted to put some of it in writing for all of you because her story needs to be told. Especially what I'm about to share...

Linda wrote me that email on Friday. On Wednesday, she was gone. On Saturday, I was flying home, but unfortunately I would still miss her service. The night she died, I received an email from Tony Servies, a friend and member of my church. He and my family had been giving me information about Linda being in the hospital, passing away, and upcoming arrangements. The following email came about four hours after I heard of her passing away. It was the greatest gift anyone could have given me during those beginning hours of grieving. I will let you read it in Tony's words:

Those of you who were in church this past Sunday got to see one of the best examples of a testimony that I think you will ever see. As Mrs. JoAn was playing "Our God Is An Awesome God" Linda rose to her feet and lifted holy hands to the Lord. Her obedience in praising Him seemed to give our church a certain "liberty" and I saw a lot of teary eyes. It was an amazing moment to watch this person who had been brought into the sanctuary in a wheelchair, stand to her feet and confirm that our God is awesome!

But that is only part of the story. I was very blessed to have been by her bedside on Tuesday evening to have prayer with her. While I was visiting with Linda, I remarked to her sister-in-law, Debbie, about how this past Sunday Linda had given our church a liberty to praise by her actions. Linda told me that God challenged her with "if you think I am so awesome, then show me". That is what prompted Linda to rise up and praise Him. She overcame any hesitation and simply praised him in the best way she knew how.

Wow! And let me repeat from before, Linda never liked to be the center of attention. So when I read this email, I knew that this was no small thing. I can close my eyes and envision this entire scene playing out in my mind, and sensing how significant it was for her to act out this seemingly simple gesture. For her, it was a big deal. And I know that everyone in the sanctuary recognized that as well. She and I have had enough conversations about her faith and personality for me to know how huge this was, and how meaningful it was as an act of worship. And couple that with the fact that Raymond shared just how sick she was that very weekend as he had been constantly holding the "sick bucket". He said she had zero strength on that Saturday and told him she didn't think she would be able to go to church. But Sunday morning came, and she was up and ready to go. Exhausted and I'm sure still not feeling well, they wheeled her in. And what a testimony! After I read the email I was so thankful. I was thankful that she was used by God up until her last breaths as such a powerful witness to everyone around her. I'm thankful that despite her quiet nature, she displayed such bold faith and courage. To me, she displayed that boldness every day, but to hear about such a stand during her final days was just one more incredible story to add to hundreds more.

Earlier this year I had made a CD for Linda with a variety of Christian songs that have encouraged me. She seemed happy to receive it. A couple weeks after her death, I received a message from her oldest daughter Brittany. Brittany said she was driving Linda's car one day and nothing was on the radio, so she checked the CD player to see if anything was in it. On the CD was written "Our Hope Endures", the title of one of the songs. As she listened to the songs she said she could imagine her mom listening to them too. Brittany said the songs have given her peace and I pray they brought peace to Linda as well. It meant a lot to me to know that Linda had been listening to that CD up until she died. I know how powerful and worshipful those songs are and can imagine how they encouraged her and helped her to worship. And it meant a lot to me to hear about Brittany finding it and being so touched. I had also made a similar CD for her, but she hadn't found it yet. When she did, and realized I had made them both, she sent me that message to thank me. I give that thanks back to God for being a blessing to all of us, each in a special way.

I could go on and on about Linda's life and how it touched mine so, but I will close by asking you to remember her family and to pray for them. Aside from her husband and Brittany, she leaves behind another daughter, a son-in-law, two grandbabies, and many others who love and miss her so much. I thank God for the blessing of knowing Linda. And I know she is now shining brighter than ever!