Linda

Today I would like to honor a dear friend and mentor.  Of all the people I have been blessed to know and love, she is one of the best.  I asked her several years ago to be my spiritual mentor.  She is totally committed to God.  I got to know her when we joined Young Life.  She, Ron, her husband, along with the Bowmans invited us, supported us, lead us, taught us... Linda was intentional.  She never threw things together.  When she prepared a devotional for a leaders meeting I felt honored to be there.  She listened intently, when I needed to talk, was humble about advise she gave, prayed believing, and, what I loved most about her, stood for what she felt was right.  There was no back up to Linda. Yet once, during one of our meetings she said something that offended the men.  Especially one who didn't say much.  That week each of the men received a letter of apology for her lack of wisdom.  She just was so intent on standing for good and right.  When YL thought of getting rid of people from our church because we weren't conservative enough she wrote letters, and rallied for us.  Without her we would probably not have been able to continue.  She loved us and she also believed in us.  I trusted her so much.  She was strong, intelligent, a learner.  She was not afraid to stand against  a principle even if she was looked down on.  She told me once that she had 3 sisters.  One was known for her beauty, one for her athletic ability and she was known for her intelligence.  She was not bragging, even kind of apologizing for not being a beauty.  She was intelligent and used her intelligence coupled with her faith and in line with the Holy Spirit to do what was right.  I was in a Bible study in her home for awhile with other Methodist women.  What a treat!  She was so well prepared.  Once she even used a set of tapes by Barbara Higdon on Peace for her study with us.  I loved that she was so open to whatever was valuable regardless of the denomination.  I asked her once why she was so open like that.  She said she guessed she had traveled and seen too much to be any other way.  Linda loved nature, watching her birds, taking care of the earth, hiking, finding joy in life. If someone was hurting she spent much of her valuable time taking in food, visiting, taking them to Dr appointments. I feel like I wish I could write a beautiful tribute to her but I just don't have the words.  I am crying today because I loved her so much.  I am writing like she has died and , in a way, she has.  Maybe about 5 years ago Linda was diagnosed with Alzheimers.  In the past few weeks her disease has progressed to the point that her family is having to put her into a home.  She and her husband have a marriage that is strong and lovely and good.  The kind of relationship where they could say anything to each other, share everything and they loved doing most everything together.  Ron has been amazing with her.  But now her mind is completely gone and he can no longer handle her.  Please join me in praying for this dear family this week.  I hope she can go Home soon and be with the Savior she loved, lived for and would like to be with. I am thankful for the blessing of her in my life and for what she has passed on to me.  I am a better person because of her.