Through Difficult Days

Hello Central family and friends. I hope you’re doing well in Wednesday morning. As you’ve probably heard, my older sister Rayna unexpectedly passed away last Friday from a cardiac arrest. For our family and her family (husband Keith and 8 children), we are still coming out of shock as the reality of our loss is sinking in.

We wanted to sincerely thank you for all of your prayers, your support, and your care throughout this hard time. It has meant a lot to us.

We have felt God’s presence and protection with us, even in these difficult days. 

It’s reminded me of God’s amazing promise to his people in Isaiah 43:2, that I want to remind you of for your difficult days:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.

God promises two things: His presence (that He will be with us), and protection (that we will not be consumed or overwhelmed). He doesn’t say that we won’t face hard things, or that the waters won’t be deep or cold or scary, or that the current won’t be strong, or that the fire won’t be hot or a true test of faith, and certainly not that we will get our way…only that He will be with us, and will not allow for it to ruin us.

Through these difficult days, we’ve felt this promise be true for us.

It’s mostly come from the support and care that we’ve received from so many. But we’ve also felt it in that deeper peace that ‘surpasses all understanding’ (Phil. 4: 7), which we contribute to ‘grieving with hope’, as well as to your prayers. So thank you for supporting us, first and foremost, with your prayers. Please keep praying us through this.

I know some of you have asked about services and such.  The wake will be at Thompson’s Memorial Home in Red Bank on Friday, June 16 from 2-4PM, and then from 6-9PM.  The funeral will be on Saturday, June 17 at 11AM at Tower Hill Presbyterian Church in Red Bank. You can view her obituary and the services info here as well. 

I am excited to see you on Sunday as well for our “Onwards and Upwards” celebration Sunday. It should be a great morning, as we celebrate our little ones and graduates.