Today we said our last goodbyes to Stephanie Parmer. Brother Robb called me a few days ago and asked me to sing "I can only imagine" at the funeral. Then the next day he texted me and asked if I would sing another song. I called him and he asked that I sing "Legacy". In my head, I'm thinking, oh Lord...can I really do this? And suddenly I felt a peace about it. I knew that the Lord would lead me through it. I also felt glad that I could contribute something to her friends, family, and loved ones. I wish I could do more, say something, gosh...bring her back. Before I went to church I prayed that God would use me as his instrument. I knew I wouldn't be able to sing two songs on my own with a crowd full of grieving loved ones. I don't know how He did it, but He was with me the whole time. Brother Robb did a fantastic job. I don't know how he does it, I really don't. He has such a way with words and it was perfect. Also, our former youth pastor came down. It warmed my heart to see him there. I praise God for giving me the opportunity to sing at Stephanie's funeral. She left such a remarkable legacy and was only 16 years old. I have been a believer longer than she has, but I truly believe that she left more of a legacy than I could begin to leave. I pray that the Lord shape me into a light the way she was. I pray that I can touch people's lives with a smile, kind word, hug, or word from the bible. I am blessed to have another day to improve who I am and to be more of who HE wants me to be.
Now on to my joy of the day...
A sweet friend of mine (who actually played piano at Stephanie's funeral) got hired at Lakewood today!!!! I am so excited for her. Cheryl Tally will be a wonderful addition to our Lakewood family!
God is so good.
Hey there - I was thrilled to find your blog through Facebook today! I'll definitely be following.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad God gave you the strength to sing this morning. Funerals in general are hard to sing at, but a 16 year old's? Impossible on your own.
Valerie, it's July 26th and I JUST NOW realized that you made a comment. I need to figure out how to make it email me when I get blog comments :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure my blogs won't bring much interest to anyone, but I thought it'd be a great way to journal my life. I'm going to print these things out and put them in a notebook.