Hello... and Good-bye

Hello my friends.

 Today I write with a heavy heart.

  Someone I deeply admire and respect is in her final hours on this side of eternity.

 I first "met" Sara a year or two back. 

Her story and her blog are remarkable, to say the least.
  I cried my eyes out when I first read what she deals with.

  Although we don't share the same disease,

we both do have diseases that fall under the umbrella of rheumatic conditions.
I can't say my mind hasn't been down the road of, "What if my...."

Sadly, her health has declined to the point she will not live much longer.

In all the years I've 'followed' Sara, 

I've NEVER ONCE heard her lament or complain about her life or her many limitations. 

She is amazing, and her faith is as well.

Her going home is a bittersweet thing. 

She will leave behind a family who will miss her dearly,
friends whose lives are forever changed because of her presence, 

and a sweet, loyal, faithful puppy who will be lost without her.  

On the other hand,

she will finally get to sit at the feet of Jesus and worship to her heart's content.
She will be healthy, unbroken, fully alive.
{Oh, to see her dance for joy!}

Her suffering will cease and and she will be reunited with her Dad. 

{Whose funeral she couldn't attend because of her health}.

 It struck me today that heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. 

It is not a place for good people, nice people,
or ones who have done the right thing, lived a good life.
Heaven is not an entitlement.

Heaven is a place for saved people
and no amount of kindness or good deeds gives you the key to get in.
  No, the only way in is through giving your life to Jesus Christ. 

He alone is the gatekeeper, the final decider. 

  My friend Sara will not have far to travel to get to heaven. 

She has lived a life so close to God it's almost impossible to look at her and not see Him.

If you have a chance, please go visit her here. 

Spend some time on her site, 

get to know her,

and leave a comment for her family, if you feel led. 

I'm sure they would appreciate every prayer and kind word about their girl right now.

  They are hurting so.

Sara,
thank you for living a beautiful life.
Thank you for showing me what lavish grace is.

  Thank you for living out Jesus to a hurting, lost world. 

Sweet travels, my friend.... I'll see you later.

 Blessings,

{K}