This was quite a shock for the family. Having completed her cancer treatments, they thought they were out of the woods. But with the infection she contracted a few days ago, her body went down quickly.
This morning she was talking and interacting with her sisters, but in only a matter of hours, her body gave up. There was nothing doctors could do.
This is hard on China. She and Aunt Charity have been back and forth a lot through her battle with cancer. China has been a faithful prayer warrior and encouragement for Aunt Charity. They had recently made plans to go out for a day together to talk and celebrate when China made it back to the States.
Mom and her siblings and Aunt Charity’s family are grieving hard. I can imagine the pain must be more intense when only a short time before they had such hope.
Something Aunt Charity posted recently was, “It’s hard to hear God’s voice when you’ve already decided what you want Him to say.” And later she posted, “God never stopped being good; we just stopped being grateful.” She trusted God despite the difficulties, a good testimony to leave life with.
Thank you for your support and prayers, friends. Yes, dear Savior, we are longing….
Would We Truly Long for Heaven?
Would we truly long for heaven
If this life was perfect here,
If we had no pain or heartache,
If we never shed a tear?
If we had no disappointments,
And our dreams would all come true,
Could we keep that heavenly vision
And that deep eternal view?
Would we truly long for Heaven
If we never gave a sigh,
If the old were always taken,
And the young would never die?
If we had no cherished loved ones
Waiting at the eastern gate,
Would we truly long for Heaven
And reunion that awaits?
Would we truly long for Heaven
At the ending of the road,
If our backs were never bleeding
From the burden of the load?
If the sun was always shining,
If we never felt a gale,
Would we long for Heaven’s Harbour
To be safe within the veil?
Would we truly long for Heaven
And the bliss of yonder shore,
If we had no loved ones tugging
On the line at Heaven’s door?
If our precious family circle
Never was broken here below,
Would we truly long for Heaven
Where our loved ones we shall know?
Yes, dear Savior, we are longing
To be safe on Heaven’s shore,
And these trials only make us
Long for Heaven more and more.
And we see that Thou art using
Every trial of each day
As a tug from Heaven’s anchor
Just to pull us Heaven’s way.
-Elizabeth Drudge / Lena Martin
Juan David 