aunt lana / my hero

my aunt lana passed away last week.  she was 67 and had an incredibly tough life.  at 17, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (ms) and little by little it took over her body and caused horrific physical issues (numbness, loss of balance, lack of coordination, weakness, blurred vision, slurred speech, and sudden paralysis).  she was confined to a wheelchair for over 45 years.  she lived in a nursing home.  she suffered everyday of her adult life.  she refused to let ms win.  she lived a life of compassion and servanthood (she always helped others and genuinely cared for anyone she could).  she read her bible, prayed and sang hymns everyday.  she trusted God for healing and never let go of her faith in Him.  she never complained, never blamed God or others.  she was the life of the party and would light up the room when she rolled in.  she had an eternal perspective and knew that one day her savior would fully restore her and give her a new body.  

aunt lana is my hero!  she will always be.  i will forever remember her as a warrior.  she inspires me to: trust God more, to not let set-backs get me down, to stop making excuses about what i can’t do, to keep my joy in the midst of the battle, to refuse to quit and to get my eyes off of myself and my problems and touch the life of someone nearby.

revelation 2:3 (MSG) says, “you have patiently suffered for me without quitting.”  God help us to live our lives the way aunt lana did - patient, joyful, and with a fierce passion to never give up, to never give in.  ms couldn’t hold you back, paralysis couldn’t stop you, even death wasn’t able to conquer you.

aunt lana, i realized when i looked in the casket that you were long gone, that you had fought the good fight of faith, you had kept the faith, that you finished your course on earth.  aunt lana i love you, miss you and can’t wait to see you in the life to come.