Held

I'm listening to Natalie Grant's Held... It suddenly came into my head and I needed to listen to it.
 
    Again, he knows exactly what I need. Yesterday, I spoke with a friend who worked with me at the Shelter Youth Hostel in Amsterdam back in 08'. One of the sweet girls we served alongside passed away yesterday from brain cancer.

    We talked a little about how we remembered her; her joy, open-hearted friendship, the times we went on outings together, the funny things she said.

     I feel privledged to have know her. Kimberly befriended everyone. She had no enemies. She had this unique sense of humor and she loved to tease people. She would say "Hey Guys!" whenever she walked into a room full of her friends, so excited to see us and be there with us.

     Kimberly would tease some of the guys, calling on of our German friends "Jensy poo." He would also laugh and say something like, "Oh Kimberly. Gosh." At least that is how I remember it.

    We went to a museum outside of Amsterdam on one of days off. We took a ferry over to this incredible preserved dutch village where you could see the ocean and walk through houses like they used to be. We watched old fishermen making nets in a demonstration and stopped to eat the MOST incredible apple pie at a little cafe. We even found this old tower that looked like it belonged in a story book. It wasn't a museum but that didn't stop us from walking up the spiral stone steps just to see what was at the top.

   
     She was an adventurous one. On another weekend we went to Lisse to see the famous tulip gardens there. Several of us from the Shelter went and stayed with one of our dutch friends at her grandma's house. As we rode bikes out to the famous garden, we stopped and danced in some real tulip fields just because we could. We spun and spun until we were dizzy just for the joy of it.

That weekend we rode out to the ocean which wasn't too far away. It was growing dark and the boys went down the beach aways. You could hardly see anything and I felt the need to get in the ocean. So I made sure no one was looking, took off my top and ran into the ocean. It was cold! I will never forget how they all looked at me like I was crazy. I began to agree with them when I nearly froze on the ride back.
    
     While we worked together at the Shelter, Kimberly was struggling against some doubts with her faith. She didn't feel right sharing the Gospel when she was so filled with questions herself. It was incredible and challenging to talk to her about how she was grappling with her questions. Rather than ignore them, she faced them head on and worked through them. She went one weekend to L'Abri, a community where people study the word, garden, live together and promote Christ's love throughout the world. The place was a haven for scholars who would talk about the deeper issues of the faith and Kimberly went to seek wisdom.

  
   She came back so different. She was beautifully at peace and content with His love.
As Natalie Grant sings, it seems unfair that she should die so young and after suffering so long from cancer.

    I don't think it is a coincident that my reading this morning was in John, the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I believe Jesus is still that powerful and can still raise people from the dead. And I asked why not Kimberly? Why not any of the people I have known to die too young?

    But somehow in His great love, I think he knows when it is better for them to stay in heaven. I can imaging getting to heaven and honestly, I don't think I would want to come back to earth after seeing what peace, joy, freedom we will have there. No more medicine, no more struggling, no more nausea, no more evil or pain.

    I am honestly not sure how Lazarus felt when he came back, but I think that is how I would feel.

While it is painful to think of her gone and  while her family is on my heart today, I am thankful because she was one precious lily of the valley.
    

        Hosea 14:4-7 (NIV) "I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily, he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon.... They shall again live beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom like the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon."

Kimberly blossomed under the love of her sweet Savior, Jesus. It was evident to anyone who knew her that she was made free by His all-encompassing love. And she smelled sweet. People were drawn to her. They could sense that she held out love, free for the taking. It wasn't strange to see her talking to one of our guests at the front desk, answering their questions with a smile and often she would sit and talk with guests in the cafe, encouraging them and sharing truth.

Kimberly- after catching a snowflake on her nose when it first snowed.

This verse says it all.

2Cor 2:14-15 (NIV) But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ...

 

Kimberly didn't walk in the procession. She danced. And through her joy and friendship Christ spread the glorious fragrance of the knowledge of him. She is now a pleasing aroma in the Father's house and yet, her fragrance remains here as well. It remains with the ones she touched in Europe, in Colorado, in California. It will always remain with those who loved her and were loved by her.

 

 Natalie Grant's "Held"