Goodbye my sister, my friend - Gale

Today, my dear friend of 33 years died suddenly.  Her name was Gale.  I had been the “older sister” to her and her three sisters for all these years.  That’s how it was and is – there was never a question.  We were always there for each other’s good times and bad times – we were friends – we were sisters.  Her life touched and ministered to hundreds of people. Her life had been hard, raising two children on her own, sometimes working two and three jobs to support her and her children.  Her deadbeat husband never cared.

Gale treated everyone the same – equally and kindly.  If Gale told you she would pray for you, you could take it to the bank and she would pray for you as if you were family.  Her arms hugged hundreds, if not thousands; her hands fed hundreds, if not thousands – sometimes as a caterer – sometimes just because there were hungry people that needed fed. 

Gale’s absence will leave a great void in the lives of her family and friends.  As is in the loss of any loved one, it won’t be the same without her.  She is irreplaceable.

My solace today and the peace that I find within my soul comes from the very comforting fact that Gale knew Jesus Christ in a very real and personal way.  He was her Savior.  When she fell asleep here on earth, it was into His arms she awoke with a smile on her face knowing that she had reached home – her final destination.  She had joined her mother and thousands of saints who had gone before her – she beat us home!   

Do we miss her?  Do we grieve?  Does it hurt?  Absolutely!!!  But again I must turn to my Savior for comfort and the word of the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:21 “for me to live is Christ but to die is gain.” And, again he reminds us who follow Jesus Christ “. . . to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:8)  Even though we are grieving for “our” loss, heaven is rejoicing in its gain. 

Many friends, family, and those whom we don’t really know, will come to offer us their sympathies and kind words and life will go on – it always does – and time will help.  But the best comfort through all the pain of loss is in knowing that we will stand with her, hand in hand, in glory one day praising and worshiping our Lord, our Savior, our God.  “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:18,38-39).  Goodbye, sweet Sister, sweet Friend - Gale.