Shocked About The News by Deena McDaniel Positively Beautiful Blog 9/10/22
Fitness drives my soul. The more I do the more I want to do. So, when my fellow cycle instructor asked me to sub her class I always said yes! Many attended this vivacious spin coach’s class, so it was a tall order. Week after week I substituted. The swaps continued for months. I began to sub even more. All she told me was “treatments.” With deep sorrow, we found out she died last week. Vivian Bary Obituary: It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Vivian Bary of Miami, Florida, who passed away at the age of 49, on September 5, 2022. How could this be? I texted her last week!
On September 12, 2017, at 4 am our phone rang. We’d just had a crazy night with Hurricane Irma and the OU vs Ohio State football game. “We lost her.” -my father-in-law told my husband. Cancer won and Nanny died. We’d chatted for over 2 hours two days prior. She caught an infection and weak from cancer treatments, died. How could this be? All was looking great and then suddenly she’s with Jesus.
During the past few years, we’ve all experienced more death than we care to remember. Covid has taken many of our loved ones. And so has cancer. And most recently, the Queen was called home. At age 96 it’s somewhat expected, nevertheless a great loss.
This week has been filled with tears. After Vivi's death, I taught her class and I was the one to share the devastating news. This class is super tightknit, therefore many of them already knew but many did not. I waited until the end of class to announce, but the heavy hearts that did know were evident, as we let out our grief with a vengeance and a supercharged workout. My friend and I wept together in full embrace.
During Covid’s height, I’d asked the Lord to give me a platform to share the Good News. He put me in the Jewish Community Center to teach fitness. This community is also a school and many males wear Yamakas and women wear long black skirts, even to work out. So, as I hugged my friend in prayer, I closed my eyes and ended my petition with, “In Jesus name.”
Death is definite. All our lives will come to an end. It’s where you’ll spend eternity that is the difference. This season for our church “grow groups” I signed up for “Stay Salty”, an evangelistic team. I want to know more about sharing the Good News! Think about it. As a believer in Christ, we have the obvious evidence of the Savior, biblically, historically, and testimonialy.
Throughout my time at “The J” I praise Jesus in how I live out my daily life. “Oh, it’s so nice you have something to believe in,” an 80-year-old student smiled at me. She’d asked me why I’m always so filled with joy. God will call his children one way or another. He uses us. He uses circumstances. He uses death. At Vivi’s funeral, the Temple was filled with over 1,000 people. I didn’t go. I should have. Funerals are even more difficult when it’s clear they’re not believers.
Our days are numbered. Give God his glory by sharing His story.
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.-1 Cor. 9: 19-27
Love Beyond the Grave by Deena McDaniel Positively Beautiful Blog STARVE THE VIRUS OUT we hear. Doing nothing is doing something. We go about our “dailies” and wonder what day it is? “We’re working on retirement muscles.” My husband cheerfully adds. Quite frankly for this stay at home, homeschooling mom, not much has changed. Well, we wash our hands more. We pray more. We swim more! We cook more. We’re blessed beyond measure, but then God blows me away one more time on how much he loves me. The mail arrived. (Read to the end for the knockout punch.) My Dad’s wife Jeannie is a retired kindergarten teacher. She’s 84. Her way of communicating is through letters. When my mom died in 2005, my dad was sure he’d find a new bride with whom he'd live out his golden years and he did. They were married 8 years before Dad died. In those 8 years I’d receive long lengthy letters from Jeannie on how Dad was doing. Her letters were great because Dad would always simply say he...
Comments
Post a Comment