My Friend Sharon

I am so blessed to know her. I am so blessed to be a tiny part of her life. I am so blessed that she was my friend. She went to experience her lifelong love with Jesus in person last Tuesday. And I miss her. I miss our text conversations. Early in the morning (please don't text me if you are driving she would say),late at night (God will get us through this night Betsy.) She was so precious to me. I have seen her 3 times since cancer invaded her life again this past February but I feel like we had the richest relationship. She had that amazing gift that very few people have. The ability to make you feel like the most important person in the whole world. When you talked to her, you were her focus. She wasn't looking over your shoulder for the next person to talk to. She really wanted to know what was on your heart. She valued people. She valued me. I remember the night I took her dinner back in the spring. I poured out my heart about my struggle with being a working mom. She told me that God would redeem my lost time with my kids. I think about that everytime a week end rolls around and how much He fills those 2 days with precious moments and seems to make the time stretch out as a gift just for us. The second time I saw her I went to her house for one of the visitation days she hosted. I sat down and just watched her minister to everyone around her. Requesting prayer for a young woman there. Telling everyone how blessed she was. How loved she felt. The third time I saw her was for a Birthday party. She wanted to know about me. She didn't feel good but she asked me to come sit and talk with her. And then the next day a text telling me how she was specifically praying for me. I miss her texts. I wish I had saved them all. A week before she died I texted her "How can I pray for you right now?" She texted me back, "Pray we do this the way God wants us to do it. Just be in total submission to His plan for our lives." That was the last text I received from her and you better believe I saved that one. It encompassed everything Sharon stood for. The day she died I told my coworker about her and she thought she was the most amazing lady. I told my friend how much Sharon loved God and how even though she was not getting the answers she wanted she still loved God and trusted Him. As I walked away from the conversation I thought "She is still ministering to people. God is still using her in mighty ways and will continue to use her." Sharon has created a legacy of loving people and most of all loving God. It will live on for many generations in her family. The last time I saw her she gave me the biggest hug. I cherish that night and will always remember her smile and her all surrounding love. I love her and miss her.  Because I knew her, I love God even more. I have a feeling she would have loved to hear that. I can just see her smile.