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Today is the funeral of a young friend, Kellie Moore.  She was only 42.  The prayers many offered for her healing have been answered…but not in the way we wanted.  She is fully and eternally healed in heaven.  She finished her fight against brain cancer on Tuesday, August 27 about 1 pm CDT.

Kellie Moore is now with the Lord.  About a month ago, her husband moved the family with lots of help, back to Tyler, TX from California.  Her wish was to have the family settled back there and the kids in school.  That all happened…again with the help of extended family and church friends.  Last week school started.

See part of her story here…

You may remember when I talked about her and another friend about a year and a half ago now…here, here and here.

As an update to the above story of the two women, Carrie did survive her illness and is doing well…back at work and busy in her life raising three children with her husband.  She ended up not needing the heart transplant but spent quite awhile in the hospital after multiple surgeries.  That’s how GOD answered that prayer.

Continue to pray for Kellie’s husband Matt and their four children

With Kellie, GOD answered the prayer in a different way.  Her oldest daughter is starting her senior year in high school at a new school…but with some old friends.  Kellie is leaving four children behind…2 daughters, 2 sons.  This family is going to continue to need prayer for grace and comfort.

Just as He has given them courage and grace over the past year and a half of Kellie’s fight against brain cancer, He will continue to do so as they deal with the finality of their loss.

My memories of Kellie have always included a smile on her face and often a laugh as well.  When she had babies and our church nursery wasn’t up to standards, she set up the standards and figured out how to make it a place where it could be a safe, healthy place for the children and babies of our church.  Her husband traveled a lot in his business.  When she came to church, she needed a place where she could be comfortable placing her children while she attended the service to worship…often alone.

She homeschooled the children until last year so she could help them with a variety of dyslexic issues.  By the Fall of 2012, her symptoms were too debilitating for her to be able to homeschool anymore.  This past year, the kids made the adjustment to school…as their mother continued to fail.

I can’t imagine the anguish of her family.  She has bounced through my head so often recently…as I have thought of her fading away, and now with her gone today.

There is such a torn feeling when we think of the loss of someone this young who knew and loved the Lord.  Yes, she is with the Lord and is finally whole.  But the grief journey of her loved ones will be a difficult one even with a wonderful support system.

Now her legacy will live on in her children…there is no doubt.  It will be wonderful to see how that legacy is lived out.

Hymns of comfort as Kellie Moore experiences the reality of the Gospel

Two hymns that came to mind today…among many.  The last two verses of Jesus Paid It All

For nothing good have I whereby your grace to claim–

I’ll wash my garments white in the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

And when, before the Throne, I stand in Him complete,

“Jesus died, my soul to save,” my lips shall still repeat.

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

                                                                          by Elvina Hall 1865

The other one is Rock of Ages, but I much prefer the tune by James Ward to the older one that is a bit more dirgy.  There is something about the Ward tune that emphasizes the words in a way that touches my soul!

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood,  

From thy wounded side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Cleanse me from its guilt and pow’r.

 

Not the labors of my hands

Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow?

All for sin could not atone;

Thou must save and Thou alone.

 

Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to Thy cross I cling;

Naked come to Thee for dress;

Helpless look to Thee for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly;  

Wash me Savior or I die!

 

While I draw this fleeting breath,

When my eyelids close in death,

When I soar to worlds unknown,

See Thee on Thy judgement throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee.

                                                                 by Augustus Toplady 1776

As we think of Kellie being in that eternal world with Christ it once again reminds us to look to our source of salvation.

That is what these hymns allude to.

Our salvation is totally based on the completed work of Christ on the cross as well as His resurrection from the dead.  His death paid for all of our sin.  His resurrection showed He was victorious over sin.  And all of it was totally on our behalf!  There is nothing about us that is good enough to earn us a ticket into heaven.

Kellie knew that all too well…as lovely and gracious as she was.  For those of us who aren’t lovely and gracious…there is hope.  Our ability to get into heaven is not based on our works…or even our ability to earn GOD’s favor.

Thanks be to GOD.

He is a GOD of mercy and grace as well as justice.