Farewell to a fellow woman of faith

I just learned that my former boss of 13 years passed away.  

Of all the possible feelings, I mostly just feel acceptance.  Other feelings may pop up as my brain processes the information over the next several days, if past experience counts for anything.

She was a good and loving boss.  

She drove me bonkers.

I appreciated her greatly, yet she stretched my tolerance and my patience on a daily basis.

She cared for others with the full love of Christ.  She knew no strangers and never acknowledged any subtle boundaries of others at any time.  You had to be direct or your boundary wasn't perceived.  Her extroverted personality was oblivious to the passing of time or other responsibilities that needed her time and attention too.

I learned much from serving under her.  I was grateful for her constant support and fighting for better wages and more respect for her employees.  She did many things that made her very loved by her staff.

She was pushy and loud, yet never missed a chance to witness to anyone and everyone who crossed her path.  Every interview she conducted included the gospel message and a heart-to-heart with the unsuspecting interviewee.  She had the privilege of praying the prayer of salvation with many parents who brought their children to our childcare center.

Her final two years as my boss, myself and her administrative assistant served as her hands and feet, her mental stability, and we ran all aspects of the business with her at the helm delegating everything possible to us, with the exception of the personal interactions she was so gifted in.

Several times in our time together, we thought God might be calling her home.  Her health was always in question.  More times than I can remember, I was with her at the hospital or racing to get her some orange juice because her blood sugar had dropped incredibly low again.

Never a dull moment. 

I remember a bible study that she led, a verse about how wide, how deep, and how far God's love was.  It was her heart's prayer to experience God's love and share it to that degree.  Finally, she gets to experience it live, and in-person.  I can see her joyfully praising her Lord and Savior with all of her being up in Heaven.

Proverbs 31 Woman

 This chapter can be intimidating when viewed through broken lenses.  I think it is a beautiful portrayal of a woman who strives to be her best for the Lord.  A portrayal of a regular woman, not a perfect woman on a pedestal that we have to try to emulate, but an honest, down-to-earth description of the ways she strives to do her best and be the woman God has created her to be.

As I read verses 10-31, again -one of many times in my life I have laid eyes upon this passage and pondered it, I found myself looking at it in a different light.  I jotted down some paraphrases of the verses and here is the message I found the Lord sharing with me:

1.  Her husband's heart trusts in her.  She does him good and not harm. (this speaks to the relationship between this husband and wife)

2. She uses her skills and hard work to provide and support for the needs of her family that God has given her responsibility for.  (the gifts and talents God has given her, for the specific needs she is responsible for)

3.  She travels as necessary to feed her family.  (she goes the distance, puts others first)

4.  She rises early to meet their needs. (like feeding them a nutritious breakfast)

5. She uses her resources to further the benefit to her family and she follows through to see something to fruition.

6.  She works on herself and doesn't give in to laziness, or give up on her efforts when the going gets tough. (her character, her relationship with the Lord, all areas of her life)

7. She's not afraid of hard work and works alongside others. (doing what it takes, humbly)

8. She is gracious and generous with what she has.

9.  She is not afraid, she knows the Lord provides...He gives her strength and dignity.

10. Her words are wise and kind.

11.  She is a woman who fears the Lord.