Bonnie’s Victory Celebration Tuesday Nov.2,2010
I have thought a lot about what to share with you today.
I do not need to tell you what kind of a person Bonnie was – you already know that.
Since I do not know how long I will last up here, I want to tell you the most important thing first.
The absolute, never doubt it, where the rubber meets the road, take it to the bank truth, is that the secret to the life of Bonnie Bard is JESUS. She was who she was because HE is who HE is.
I met Bonnie at a women’s Bible study where we had both agreed to lead a small group. It was our first day of training to learn how to appropriately lead the group and since we were both new, we sat together. After introductions were made, she asked me if I had ever done anything like this before. I told her yes, but it had been a very long time ago. I asked her the same question and she told me that, no she had never done it and that quite frankly, she was not sure that she should be doing it now either !
That conversation was the beginning of a life-changing friendship for both of us.
We talked about a lot of things over the next several years, but I do not recall any conversation with her that did not, at some point, zero in on the things of God.
We talked about our questions, shared what we were learning , read scripture and prayed and every conversation ended with, “I love you my friend – pray me through.”
We talked about husbands and kids – and then Lexi and my grandbabies came along and suddenly husbands and kids didn’t get much air time anymore !
It is a joy for me to meet many of you since Bonnie asked me often to pray with her for her friends.
The first time she asked, it had to do with you, Virginia ! She called and asked me to pray for you. I told her that of course I would do that and then there was silence on the other end of the line. Then I heard her say,“Well………………… My very spiritual response was, “Well what ?”
And her response was, “WELL,PRAY!” And so I learned early on that when Bonnie asked for prayer, she expected it to happen NOW !
It seemed that every time we went to lunch her cell phone would ring with a call from Shelley and she would giggle and say, “ I’m sure she thinks that I do absolutely nothing except eat with you !”
One day over lunch, I noticed that Bonnie was wearing a beautiful blue aquamarine ring. I comment on it and with a sparkle on her eye and a big grin on her face, she told me," Barry bought me this ring for my birthday......................he just doesn't know it yet !
Then one day late in the afternoon, my phone rang and everything changed.
“Hey Tiletta – it’s Bonnie.
So, ok, I have cancer………………..now what?”
I answered,” I don’t know.”
She replied.” How do I do this? How am I supposed to feel? “
Again, I replied, “ I don’t know.”
And her response was “Well, what do you know ??”
And so we talked about what we did know. Since there were so many unknowns, we talked about the things that were still the same.
We talked about how God’s love and protection were the same on that day as they were on the days before the diagnosis.
We talked about the absolute truth of Gods Word and that all of HIS promises were and are still true.
We remembered past struggles and the way God had brought us through and we read Isaiah 41:10.
Our phone conversations were different after that.
As the disease took its toll on her, there were times when all she had the strength to say was ”Pray for me, just pray, I need to hear you pray for me.” And we would pray .
As her eyesight became affected, she would call and say,”Read to me, just read to me.”
And we would read…….mostly Psalms……….and when the truth of Gods Word had calmed and comforted her, she would say “Thanks, dear friend……..I love you.” And the call would end.
She became frustrated with her limited physical activity and would often ask,”How can God use me when I can’t do anything? We would talk about the fact that during some seasons of life, God calls us to BE and not to DO. She would confess that she knew it was true but hated it anyway.
We read Psalm 46:10 - Be still and know that I am God……………………and we agreed to try.
I have a bunch of grandbabies who are discovering the tactile part of life. They love to feel , and touch, and squeeze and grab onto everthing that they see.
One of them in particular, loves to sit on my lap and touch my face……….loves to watch my eyes blink……………loves to tug on my ears and touch my nose.
When that sweet child is done slobbering all over me, she will put her cheek next to mine and just be still for a few amazing moments.
My grandma’s heart – (if your’re not a grandma, just bear with me here ) is in an unbelievable place and I wish with all I have that we could stay in that place forever.
I believe that in the last season of Bonnie’s life, she was in that amazing place. She was on the lap of her Saviour…………touching HIS face, watching HIS eyes…………..seeing HIM as she had never seen HIM before…………something that is not possible from a distance.
And then last Saturday night, Bonnie placed her cheek on the cheek of Jesus and she heard HIM say,”Oh, Bonnie………this is all I have ever wanted from you. Lets stay in this place………forever.
I imagine that HE smiled…………I KNOW that she did……………..and then she was HOME.
We are not here to honor Bonnie and remember God.
We are here to honor GOD and remember Bonnie.
It’s what she would want.
Let me just end this rambling that same way that it started.
The secret to the life of Bonnie Bard was………….and still is, JESUS.
Amen Tiletta. And, thank you.
Barry
Barry
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