Ridgell's Originals

 Evy Greenlee.  Jesus.  Alzhiemer's.  Heaven.  

Evy died of complications from Alzhiemer's.  She was in her mid-60's, and had fought this disease for over ten years.  Her husband, Ed, and I served a number of years together as elders and he is one of my best friends.  

But I want to write today about Evy.  About why I love who she was and how she lived.  And died.  About why I was - and am -- so proud of her.

You had to know Evy before she got sick to really understand her.  She was always kind, sweet, and good.  I know she was not perfect.  No one is.  But I never knew her to be anything but kind and sweet.  And she would absolutely ask me not to write this last sentence.  In fact, she wouldn't want to write about her at all.  Because her life was never about her.

Evy' life was about Jesus first.  Her husband will tell you that had some rocky years in their early marriage.  He will also tell you that they made it because Evy believed in Jesus.  Helped Ed to get his focus set on Jesus too.  She spent years teaching children to love God.  Coached Bible bowl for years.  A lot of people know a lot of Bible because of Evy.

Her family mattered.  She and Ed were a great elder couple.  That's really how Marsha and I got to know them well.  Doing shepherding together.  Great wife and role model for younger wives.  She raised three strong girls.  I have seen what they have said about their Mom after she died.  Every one of them refered to her faith and to seeing her again some day in heaven.  That's a legacy.

And you could see her faith when she couldn't process it herself.  Couldn't communicate.  Alzhiemer's is cruel that way.  Your mind and body can't get out what is in your heart.  Then you are not even aware.  But I think you can always see the real person in this illness.

And here is what you saw with Evy.

Sweet to the end.  She spent her last few years in a memory facility.  She was nice to everyone.  Hugged on people that looked sad.  Smiled.  When groups would come sing hymns, there was Evy singing along from some place deep inside her.  Lots of little "loving Jesus" and "loving people" acts that did come out of conscious thought.  They came out of a lifetime spent doing those things.  It was who she was.

And it is who she is. Because of Jesus.  We prayed a lot for Evy's healing.  And it finally happened.  Not in this life in the arms of her husband.  But in the arms of Jesus.  She is more fully her and more truely home than she ever could be here.

That inspires me.  Evy always helped me see Jesus.  Even more when she couldn't verbalize it or even understand eveything.  

That is how I want to live.  And die.  Pointing the way to Jesus.

So  thanks Evy.  We'll love on Ed and your girls.  And we will see you again.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM