My good friend Anna Maria died on May 12th.  She had had cancer and the tumors and other stuff going on in her body were finally too much for her.  She died three days before she turned 80 years old.

I had been friends with Anna Maria for 30 years.  The 25+ year difference between our ages never made a difference in our friendship.  She was funny and gracious and intelligent and friendly and so easy to know and be friends with.

She had longed to be with Jesus and sit at his feet all her life.  I am so happy that she is no longer in any pain, and all her sorrows and sighings have faded.  But — I was not ready to let her go.  I will see her again, but in the meantime I have to live on this earth without her friendship.

Anna Maria was an example to me of someone who truly had a deep personal relationship with God.  Her prayer life was amazing, and the number of answered prayers were too many to count.  I can only hope to be half the good Christian woman she was.

Perhaps the best example of her relationship with God and how it shone out was an email all her friends got about 5 days after she passed.  Anna Maria came from a big family, most of whom are gone now, but one of her sisters in Florida had asked one her nephews to go visit Anna Maria.  She herself couldn’t make the trip, so since he lived nearby she asked him to visit.

He said he was surprised his aunt had a relative near him, he never had any idea there was family close by.  He went to Anna Maria about 5 weeks before she passed, expecting to find someone dying.  Instead he found a woman who welcomed him.  Someone who, while not real happy to be in an assisted living environment, nevertheless did not complain or talk about herself.  She was interested in him and his family and he was amazed by her graciousness.  He wanted to bring his wife and children to meet her as soon as possible.  He told us that Anna Maria was just as nice and polite to his wife and children, greeting and talking to each one.  She asked that each child play on the piano in the common room and bless everyone with their music.  He and his family enjoyed their visit so much and he said he thought God had brought Anna Maria into his life, even for a short period, because he needed the example of faith and gratitude.

I miss her still, and will always miss her.  When it comes time for me to go home and be with God I hope to be remembered half so well.   How do you think you will be remembered if God took you home to be with Him today?