A Life Everlasting...

Life EverLasting

When I was put into foster care at age 16, I was first sent to one home for the night. The next day, I was transitioned to a home for the day and then the final foster home that night. At my final foster home, the woman and man had five grown children, two sons and three daughters. That next day, I met my new sister. I wrote about my sister's daughter in an earlier blog. From that day forward, I was treated as a sister and I felt it. Yesterday, a little after 6:00 p.m., she went to be with the Lord.

I couldn't begin to express the impact this woman had on my life, the person I am today, and how much I love her. I can't say loved in the past tense because she is forever with me. She taught me many things, but the most important was to live life. My sister lived her life the way she wanted. She told me more than once not to worry about what other people thought and "do what makes you happy". She held me accountable in every sense of the word. If I did something she didn't agree with, she would let me know. If she was proud of me, she let me know. And that she told me often. She always told me how much she loved me and her actions displayed that love. She and her husband were my oldest child's godparents. He is named after my brother-in-law. When I gave birth to my youngest, she walked in as he was being born and they handed him to her. She was not always agreeable with my pity parties, and would tell me more than once to "buck it up". She would call and say, "You have been on my mind, what's wrong?" She just knew.

She told me at Christmas, "I know my time is close. I'm just waiting for Him to take me home." She told me she knew "He has a reason for me being here." I have thought a lot about that over the two weeks since our visit. She always kissed me goodbye and hugged me. I got to kiss her Monday and tell her "goodbye". But it wasn't goodbye, it was see you in Heaven.

You see, if we believe in God and that he died for us, we have life everlasting as in John 3:16. John 11:25 says, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live." My sister fought her fight. She now has her crown and she has life everlasting. When I get to Heaven, there is a list of those I can't wait to hug and talk with. But my Sister, my friend, we will hug, you will give me a kiss, and we will sit in the sun and talk for a thousand years.