A dear friend, Lisa Evans, went home to be with Jesus Monday morning.  Her tenure on earth was 52 years, 23 days.

I rejoice for her as she is dancing in heaven today.  Cancer free.  Pain free.  Her body whole and glorious.  Lisa battled multiple myloma for the last few years. Yet her faith and resolve in Jesus never wavered.

Yet, my heart aches for the family she left behind.  Her son, Luke and my Will are the same age and good friends. They played Middle School golf this spring.  I praise God that Lisa got to attend one of the matches this spring.  Her husband, Brad attended most all of them.  Tim and I got to know him -Brad is a great guy.  His perseverance and care for Lisa is a testimony in and of itself.

I had lunch with Lisa a few weeks ago.  I was very aware that it was quite possibly the last time we’d lunch together.   Yet, she did not want tears… And she did not want people casting doubt upon her faith.

So as we sat down to eat our chicken sandwiches and waffle fries from Chick-fil-A, she asked me to say the blessing.

I couldn’t.  I suddenly didn’t know how to pray or what to say.  So I said, “No, you pray.” 

(You see, 2 weeks prior, I had gotten away with passing the prayer back to her during our lunch together.   And she prayed amazing, faith-filled, heaven-rocking words.  During that lunch, I was the one who left encouraged and uplifted.  And I had come to encourage her!)

But this time, the knot in my throat was getting the best of me.  I couldn’t pray.  Yet she persisted, “You pray.”

Holding back tears with a quivery voice, “God is great, God is good,” was all I could seem to utter.  But our Ever-present Jesus took it from there and gave me faith-filled words and Scriptures to pray over my dear friend. 

It was a sweet time of fellowship that day.  Again, I was the one encouraged!  Lisa was so full of life that it was hard to remember she was even sick.  Yet I knew the prognosis.  And it wasn’t good.  I left her home that day knowing it could be the last time I see Lisa this side of heaven.

It was.

Although expected, the news yesterday shook my heart.  I grieve for her daughters, Ashley and Lauren, Dale (Lauren’s husband); son, Luke and husband, Brad.

This morning in my quiet time, I happened to be in Ecclesiastes.  Look at what the Lord showed me:

“A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.   Lisa certainly had a good reputation with God.
And the day you die is better than the day you are born. 
Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.
After all, everyone dies –
so the living should take this to heart….
“A wise person thinks a lot about death,
while a fool thinks only about having a good time.”  (7:1-2, 4)