More Than A Conqueror

Last night, we visited Angie Hunt at the nursing home. I thought it would be very sad, but just like every other time I have ever talked to Angie, I left her feeling greatly encouraged in my spirit. She can't really talk right now, but she can hear. And when we arrived, she made it very clear that she was happy we were there. She had had her eyes closed, but when we touched her hands and told her we were there, her eyes shot open and she looked so happy. I knew that it meant something to her, and I thank God that it did. She shone bright with the Lord, and I told her so. Memories of times with Angie came flooding back to me. I remember so clearly the years we taught the little ones in Mission Friends. My favorite part was at the end of every night when we would just get down on the floor on our knees in a circle and pray our hearts out to the Lord. Oh, how some of those little ones could pray. And Angie and I would join them, our hearts soaring. Sometimes our eyes would meet over their little bowed heads, and hers would be twinkling with sheer delight, especially when their prayers went on and on and on... so heartfelt and sincere. We loved every minute of it. And when Angie would pray, I would just be so happy to be next to her and feeling so close to you, Lord. We loved it too when the little ones would decide to ask questions... lots and lots of hard questions. We just ate it up. We would do our best to answer and speculate and promise to find out if we didn't know. And Angie would always tell the children to keep close and to never stop asking those questions -- She made me want to ask questions and seek Him more.
I didn't finish this post Tuesday, and now it is Wednesday, and I have something to add. Angie died tonight at about 7:30 p.m. On Monday, she had made it clear at one point that she couldn't talk but she could hear. So John read her the passage from Romans 8:26-39... "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." How perfectly that expresses all that Angie demonstrated in her months in hospitals. Outwardly she was wasting away, but inwardly the Lord was growing. She never stopped thinking of others, of the people working at the hospital or the little ones praying for her at New Life. When we visited her near Easter, she was making up gift bags to give away, and promptly put John and Leah to work helping her. She held John Jr.'s hand and encouraged him in his walk with the Lord. Her focus was totally on how she could encourage us, as though we were the ones ill, not her. She never stopped praising her Savior. And every ounce of her hurting body praised Him when I saw her on Monday. Yes, outwardly she was wasting away, but inwardly she was already beginning to shine with a weight of glory beyond comparison. Thank you for choosing her, calling her, justifying her and glorifying her, oh, gracious Lord. I know that she is delighting to hear you say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."