“May your unfailing love rest upon us, Lord, even as we put our trust in you” ~Psalm 33:22 NIV
This short but powerful scripture-prayer is my sustenance these days, every time I think of my friend Darlene. And I think of her often. Because Darlene is teetering on the threshold to eternity, a place we will all visit eventually, as our souls struggle to part with our failing earth suits and fly to unite with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at our forever home in Glory.
She beat the cancer once. Or so we all thought. For nearly three years, Darlene seemed to be a walking miracle, besting the ultra slim odds of surviving the virulent, lethal type of cancer attacking her tiny body. Now I recognize that those were bonus years, a special blessing from Papa God so Darlene could continue to enjoy her two lively fur babies (labradoodles), caring for the wild birds that visited her every morning on her porch who had become feathery friends, laughing with her loyal human friends both new and old, and spreading even more praise for her beloved heavenly Father through thick and thin.
I was one of those human friends, both new and old, if that’s possible. Darlene and I grew up in the same small Florida town; she was a year ahead of me in school so we knew each other by sight, but didn’t actually converse until we routinely bummed a 3-hour weekend ride home with the same hometown fella from college (neither she nor I owned cars). We hit it off just fine, but lost touch after college.
Decades later, Darlene ran across one of my Too Blessed to be Stressed books and somehow recognized me as Debora M. Coty (Mitchell – my current middle initial – was my last name when she knew me). She then found me online and wrote a lively letter saying she recognized my mama in one of my stories, because there was no other schoolteacher in the world like Mrs. Mitchell. She was so right about that!
By then, Darlene was a schoolteacher herself (she gave Mrs. Mitchell a little credit for that!) and a widow, having witnessed her young pilot husband’s small plane crash right in front of her. They had no children. Darlene had turned to the Lord in her grief and He became her rock through the angst of selling her dream home (which they were still building at the time of her husband’s death), making huge business decisions by herself, and moving several times, Through all the turmoil, Darlene was quick to claim her heavenly Father’s unfailing love, and His peace that surpasses all understanding, regardless of horrendous circumstances.
Her faith was real, tangible, and unwavering. Darlene’s story is in one of my books, where it continues to inspire everyone who reads it.
For retirement, Darlene moved to a beautiful home built in an ancient apple grove in a lovely valley nestled amidst the craggy mountains of North Carolina. I enjoyed visiting her up there, with her spectacular mountain vistas and entertaining view of a popular ski resorts from the back porch of her house. She took me hiking on a very windy Grandfather Mountain, and we watched majestic banks of roiling storm clouds blow in from the north.
Papa God’s presence and power was never more evident.
One of my favorite memories with Darlene was her inclusion of me in her habit of taking communion in the morning. She usually worshipped in this unique way all by herself, but was more than happy to include whatever friends and houseguests happened to drop by. I think she even invited a workman there to fix a pipe to join her once. She kept a container of grape juice in her fridge and unleavened wafers in the cupboard at all times.
Hey, you just never know when you’re gonna feel the sudden need to partake in the Lord’s Supper, and you surely want to be ready. It was an unexpected holy moment for me to hold my friend’s hand as she issued a worshipful benediction over me in praise of our Savior’s sacrifice for our salvation.
Such a sweet blessing. And unanticipated slice of heaven here on earth. I’ll treasure it always.
And now, as Darlene is standing at the threshold of eternity, I wonder if you’ll join me in thanking Papa God for this special life and legacy. She knew how to bless her friends and how to bless her Lord and she unabashedly showed everyone else how too. If anyone deserves a special sendoff for a life well lived, it’s Darlene. Godspeed, my friend.
How may I pray for you, dear BFF (Blessed Friend Forever)? I hope you know I’m always open to praying for your needs; just comment below or PM me if you’d prefer.
P.S. Don’t forget to enter my (click for more info) Mother’s Day Giveaway