As a StoryAthlete, I know that the journey exists to find and achieve clarity. At the beginning, my vision for my future doesn’t need to be perfect, but a 10,000-foot view is important. A sketch. A skeleton. A blueprint. The details will surface as I travel the path.”
Today has been an emotional day, a day full of conflicting emotions – simultaneous joy and grief, happiness and deep sadness.
Today was the memorial meeting for a dear sister in Christ, Ranti Valdez.
I met Ranti in 1995, shortly after I returned to Austin from a Bible training in California. She was assigned to be my apartment mate, along with another young UT student and my own younger sister. This living situation only lasted for about a year before she married, but we packed so many sweet memories into that time.
In that single year, we prayed, we laughed, we pranked each other and other sisters in the same apartment complex, we irritated each other, and we apologized and forgave each other.
And over the last 27 years, though we didn’t see each other often, when we did, there was a sweet bond. Whenever we were together, spontaneously our fellowship would always turn into prayer.
Especially during the last 3 years, as she battled cancer, we would fellowship over the phone – even as recently as last month. And we would pray for the Lord’s will to be done, for Him to be glorified. Ranti was steadfast in her absolute submission to the Lord’s will, even as she fought to not allow the enemy any ground in her. She maintained her joy and hope.
Ranti was so burdened that the issue of all of her experiences would be that Christ as life would be ministered to everyone around her.
During her memorial meeting, we learned that she befriended one of her fellow cancer roommates in the hospital and led her to receive the Lord before she left.
And that her next roommate, who was also a cancer patient, was a fellow believer in Christ. Ranti also befriended her, and found out she had a tremendous desire to eat pizza – so Ranti figured out a way to smuggle one in for her. What a sweet cherishing and shepherding!
In all my interactions with Ranti over all the years, she was so pure in her love for the Lord and so single for His purpose and move on this earth.
In fact, her husband told us that she selected the hymns and verses for her memorial meeting herself, and titled it, “A Meeting to Honor and Praise the Lord for a Blessed Life”
Another brother, in closing the meeting, shared that once Ranti saw, truly saw, the vision of God’s move and purpose on this earth, she became single in focus and remained fixed on this one goal for her entire life. She was “only” 47 years old when the Lord stole her away.
How much time do I have left? How much do you? Do you have a ‘vision’ or purpose that you are pursuing wholeheartedly?
I’m happy that Ranti was in my life and so many others. I’m happy that her physical suffering is over. I’m happy that she is with the Lord and now part of that ‘cloud of witnesses’ praying for the Lord’s move at His throne.
At the same time, I am so full of tears and grief that I will no longer see my dear sister in this life, and my heart hurts for her husband and two sons who have lost a beloved wife and mother.
Lord, have mercy on us! May we not waste a single precious day you have given us!