Just over a week ago, Floyd's sister Sherry went home to be with our Lord. She was only 33 years old. This was very sudden and unexpected. She went to the doctor the day before and was diagnosed and treated for pneumonia. They told her to come back the next two days for follow up treatments.
She never made it back. She lived with her two children (13 & 14 years old) and mother. That morning, her mom checked in on her and she was sleeping peacefully. We know she hadn't passed yet because her son talked to her before he left for school just a short while after her mom had looked in on her.
Unfortunately, the brief conversation with her son would be her last. When her mom got home that evening, she discovered that Sherry had passed away sometime during the day. The medical examiner believes it was around 10 am. The cause of death was not completely clear, but basically it was complications of the pneumonia.
We were completely shocked when the phone call came. Floyd really wanted to be with his mom, as a son, but also as the oldest of the kids. We weren't sure how we could work it out, but we were willing to try. To be in Austin for a while would cost money for food, gas, hotel, and any other random things that always seem to come up. As more information came in, we decided to head down the following day.
Once again, we were so blessed by our many brothers and sisters in Christ. We had folks praying for us, calling to check on us, emailing, texting; just supporting us however they could. Before we even arrived in Austin, we already had a place to stay. A friend from church who travels a lot for work was able to bless us in a huge way. This person used their points with a major hotel chain to reserve a hotel room for us for 5 nights! We got an email with the confirmation info and address, and all we had to do was check in when we arrived. We literally didn't pay a single cent for the hotel stay.
Can you imagine that? We were able to spend time with Floyd's family for nearly a week and did not have to stress for one minute about how to pay for a place to stay.
On Friday we had a family viewing for several hours. On Saturday we had a shorter public viewing and the service. On Sunday we were able to help with cleaning the house and going through some of Sherry's belongings. And everyday we enjoyed time with Floyd's family. It was a tremendous blessing!
Of course, we were mindful that this extended time with family was even more a blessing because our family will soon be moving to the other side of the world.
It is in times like these that we are reminded why it is so important to be plugged into a family of believers. Christ calls us to gather with other believers, to bear each other's burdens, to love others as ourselves. In this case, our brothers and sisters did just that...they carried us through this time with their prayers and encouragement, and lightened the burden on our finances by providing for us tangibly. All of this created beauty in the midst of our suffering.
Dear friend, if you are not connected within the body of Christ, please make an effort. Don't show up on one or two Sunday mornings, walk out of the church, and say that nobody reached out to you. Attend church, but take it a step further. Show up to an extra gathering (small group, intro class, Bible study, etc), find a place to serve, get involved so that you can build relationships. People cannot effectively care for you if they don't know what you need.
She never made it back. She lived with her two children (13 & 14 years old) and mother. That morning, her mom checked in on her and she was sleeping peacefully. We know she hadn't passed yet because her son talked to her before he left for school just a short while after her mom had looked in on her.
Unfortunately, the brief conversation with her son would be her last. When her mom got home that evening, she discovered that Sherry had passed away sometime during the day. The medical examiner believes it was around 10 am. The cause of death was not completely clear, but basically it was complications of the pneumonia.
We were completely shocked when the phone call came. Floyd really wanted to be with his mom, as a son, but also as the oldest of the kids. We weren't sure how we could work it out, but we were willing to try. To be in Austin for a while would cost money for food, gas, hotel, and any other random things that always seem to come up. As more information came in, we decided to head down the following day.
Once again, we were so blessed by our many brothers and sisters in Christ. We had folks praying for us, calling to check on us, emailing, texting; just supporting us however they could. Before we even arrived in Austin, we already had a place to stay. A friend from church who travels a lot for work was able to bless us in a huge way. This person used their points with a major hotel chain to reserve a hotel room for us for 5 nights! We got an email with the confirmation info and address, and all we had to do was check in when we arrived. We literally didn't pay a single cent for the hotel stay.
Can you imagine that? We were able to spend time with Floyd's family for nearly a week and did not have to stress for one minute about how to pay for a place to stay.
On Friday we had a family viewing for several hours. On Saturday we had a shorter public viewing and the service. On Sunday we were able to help with cleaning the house and going through some of Sherry's belongings. And everyday we enjoyed time with Floyd's family. It was a tremendous blessing!
Of course, we were mindful that this extended time with family was even more a blessing because our family will soon be moving to the other side of the world.
It is in times like these that we are reminded why it is so important to be plugged into a family of believers. Christ calls us to gather with other believers, to bear each other's burdens, to love others as ourselves. In this case, our brothers and sisters did just that...they carried us through this time with their prayers and encouragement, and lightened the burden on our finances by providing for us tangibly. All of this created beauty in the midst of our suffering.
Dear friend, if you are not connected within the body of Christ, please make an effort. Don't show up on one or two Sunday mornings, walk out of the church, and say that nobody reached out to you. Attend church, but take it a step further. Show up to an extra gathering (small group, intro class, Bible study, etc), find a place to serve, get involved so that you can build relationships. People cannot effectively care for you if they don't know what you need.
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