As I put my mourning band on my badge this afternoon, I sat and thought of the events ahead of me. I have two funerals to attend in as many days. I silently prayed that God would give me the strength to be His strong and faithful ambassador in these trying situations. They are both equally hard even though they are very different. The first will be for a barely 18 year old Firefighter who I have never met. His life was cut short before it had really started. He was set to start his senior year in high school today. He was killed responding to a call early on Saturday morning. The second funeral will be for an 82 year old Great Grandmother to my daughter. She was a Pentecostal Minister. She had been in bad health for some time, but that doesn't make it any easier. We know she is rejoicing in heaven with Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior, but we hate to see her go. You see, she knew God's word and she lived it. She knew the greatest commandment.

Matthew 22:37-39 KJVR
(37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
(38) This is the first and great commandment.
(39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

She loved like no other I have ever known. She loved because she was supposed to, not because someone deserved it. She loved as Christ loved. She loved my despite who I was, not because of who I was. I learned a lot from her in the few short years I knew her. My hope and prayer is that someday I am half the Christian that she was.

Mrs. Vera, you have left a whole in our hearts, but you have left your mark. You will be greatly missed. We all learned so much about Jesus, not only by your words, but by your actions. We rejoice in knowing you are with the Lord you held so dear in your life.