Ridgell's Originals

 Judy Truitt went to her forever home this past Tuesday.  She and her husband Don were our best friends back in the early 70's.  Well, it was really more than that.  We were inseparable for a couple of years.  They had only been married a year or so when they moved to Abilene and we were about to get married.  We did ministry together.  We did church together.  We did life together.  It was one of those friendships that it never mattered how long since you had seen each other, it was as if no time at all had passed.  Just picked up where we left off.  

And now Judy made it home before the rest of us.  

She and Don did a lot of ministry over the years.  Judy was a people person thru and thru.  Opened their home everywhere they lived.  Fed a lot of people.  Counseled a lot of young women.  Organized a lot of showers and church activities.  Smiled a lot.  Raised a family.  Prayed for lots of people.  Taught Bible class.  Lived her faith.

She was what I would call a "people-toucher."  When you said church, she thought people.  

They did full-time ministry, part-time ministry, mission work, volunteer ministry, and campus ministry.  She was a preacher's wife but very much had her own ministry.  Touched a lot of university student lives while they were at York.  Part of a church plant in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  I was at that church a few years ago and it still active.  And she touched a lot of people in youth ministry, going back to those days when we hung out at Southern Hills 45 years ago.

She touched our lives.  Judy and Don.  Steve and Marsha.  Steve and Don.  Judy and Marsha.  We were teammates and fellow warriors in the battle against the evil in our world. 

Judy knew you never "earn your reward."  We are all saved by grace.

But I do believe that she got to see God face to face last Tuesday.  And when she did, He told her that she  "did good."  Now it is time to enjoy the rewards forever.

So thanks Judy for loving so many of us so well.  And for helping us see how to love God.

Don will be along soon.  And so will we.

And we can hang out again together.

Forever.

Labels: Death, People

# posted by Steve @ 6:00 AM