Monday, October 29, 2007

A poem for Christy from Deborah (at Priority)

Christy,

Because of the Blood, dear Christy,
It's because of the Blood we're saved.
Because of His Blood, sweet sister,
It's because of His Blood you're now free.
Your name graced His lips as He hung there.
My name on His lips as He took on my stains.
He stood in your place, He paid my debts.
He knew what He needed to do.
What was it like for Him, Christy,
To leave His throne room in Heaven,
Humbling Himself to a death on a cross,
Full of suffering, pain and shame?
It was His Love, my friend, that drove Him there,
A Love so profound, I cannot grasp.
To take this death, my death, upon Himself
As I spat in His Face and mocked His Name.
He waited, He's patient. He never gives up.
His Grace, through Faith I'm forgiven.
Now, He holds me close and hems me in,
Forever before, behind and beside.
This is the God you have loved, my Christy.
The same God whose Love He's made real
Through His Daughter, beautiful Christy,
Made just like her Glorious Dad!
I love you, my dearest Christy,
Because of His blood we're Sisters.
And though you've gone Home to be with our Friend,
Some brilliant, astonishing, magnificent day, together again we'll be .
by Deborah Brebner

Christy has been a huge encouragement in my life – a beautiful picture of Christ. When we spent time together, we loved to talk about the Lord we share and, especially towards the end, she would ask me to read Scripture to her while she lay in her bed. In the hospice, as I read she wrote in her journal the Scriptures she liked, so she could review them later. As I read the Bible to her, I could hear her lovingly repeat some of the passages, so I knew when the Word was speaking to her heart. I don't think she realized how much these times we shared blessed me. Sometimes, I loved to whisper Truth in her ear – the Truth of God's love for her. Sometimes it seemed like she couldn't grasp that God would love her so much. She had a real humility about her. The first time she went into the hospital, I went to see her with the hopes of being an encouragement to her. What a surprise for me, since I was the one that left uplifted and encouraged! After that, it was never a surprise to me that I came away filled with the promises of God, and assured of His greatness. During our last visit, when she was still able to communicate, she was failing but encouraged me to keep up my Mandarin classes and kept asking me to practice on her, the words I'd learned so far! So sweet - she always thought of others first. I never once heard her complain about her condition. She downplayed it and made the burdens of others seem more important.
I will really miss her, she's taught me so much. Wayne, Steve and Susie, Jeff and Heidi, Walter – my prayers are with you. Be encouraged. I know you are. Thank you for this beautiful blog so we can share in her memories.
Love always, in Christ,
Deb

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Awesome poem Deborah! Christy would absolutely love it! I just wanted to agree that Christy always downplayed her own sufferings and problems, saying SHE had it easy while everyone else had it hard! I can't even count how many times she said that, and I'd usually disagree with her but she would sweetly insist! :) She was always, to the time when she became unable to speak, concerned with others and thought she had it good compared to everyone else. What an unselfish example.