7/30 - A Life Well Lived

Couple quick hits:
- I totally forgot to list what scripture that was yesterday, it was Isaiah 8:11-14.
- In about 2 hours and 15 minutes we find out the sex of the baby! Big announcement in tomorrow's blog!

Yesterday I went to the funeral for my friend who lost his mother and had the honor to serve as pallbearer. Never have I been to a funeral so beautiful, so moving, so motivating and even so convicting. His mother, Dr. Hanna Vinaya Kumari Vedala, was a professor in her time here on earth and yesterday that was so evident, because I got schooled. So many life lessons learned simply through the testimony of her life. Going in, I expected what I normally do from any funeral service and was really just there to support & sympathize with my friend.

Lesson 1 - don't go into the house of the Lord without any expectation of God moving. If He's there when 2 or 3 are gathered (Matt 18:20), and amongst believers, how can something not happen?

I didn't know her very well and it's quite evident I really missed out on that one. As the funeral proceeded and remarks were made by close friends and relatives, a consistent theme was forming - this was a woman of faith. Known for writing, composing and singing songs unto the Lord, devoting herself to study and speaking to doubters faith-filled statements like "You don't know my God." Another lesson came when I heard from two different friends that when they came to visit her, even as the cancer was progressing and her condition worsening, they found her studying her Greek. The doctor's report was that they couldn't do much more for her, yet she still found it necessary to grow in knowledge.

Lesson 2 - I've said with my own lips before that you're never too old to learn God's word, but would I have the faith to continue in that although my life was quickly coming to a close? We are to seek God diligently (Hebrews 11:6) and she understood that our diligence is to continue until the day we leave.

I don't know all the details of Dr. Vedala's life but I also heard from more that one person yesterday that she had some afflictions in her life, even some far worse than the cancer. The testimony of her children left no one in the room with any doubt to how much she loved them. The sacrifices she made for them, the example she left and even the fact that the children didn't want to let go in the end all testify to her love. I believe it was her daughter who said that she had packed her bags a long time ago (will come back to this later) and that she held on to her life longer just to comfort her children. That's love. Prolonging your own suffering, and delaying your appointment in heaven, just to comfort those you love. I have no doubt in my mind that God honored her for that. John 13:34-35 - "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

I'll write more on this tomorrow. The testimony of her live really had a termendous impact on me. Good day to all