I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER

Kenney Marie McAllister

1962- 2011

My Friend

My Sister in Christ

By now you have met the Master face to face. I can't help but wonder - did you just melt into your shoes when you saw the love and acceptance in His eyes?

By now your poor achy body is healed and whole. No more diabetes. No more neuropathy. No more hypertension. I can't help but wonder - are you dancing down the streets of gold?

By now you have hugged the loved ones whose absence you felt so keenly here on earth. I can't help but wonder - was it a more glorious reunion than you could have ever imagined?

Have you seen the emerald rainbow around the throne of God? I can't help but wonder - Did the Father really have to tell you He's not Irish? (Sorry - I don't mean that irreverently - you just had to know Kenney!)

You probably haven't had time to meet the Apostle Paul yet. But don't worry - you have all of eternity. When you meet him, please tell him that you devoured his letter to the Philippians in Sunday School like a kid in a candy store. Tell him you understood firsthand the hardship he wrote about and you fully embraced his teaching "to be content in whatever state you were in." He'll be proud of you. I sure was!

If you get to meet some of the Genesis women we studied about last winter, be sure to tell them how they helped you learn that God had a special plan and purpose for your life just like He did for theirs. Tell them how much we all enjoyed finding out they weren't "perfect."

I can't help but wonder, sweet Kenney - is your joyous laughter ringing across the halls of Heaven like it echoed in our class?

How I will miss your smile! How I will miss your hugs! How I will miss your wacky humor! How I will miss hearing you laugh! But, oh Kenney, how I rejoice to know that you are enjoying the glories of Heaven! How much sweeter Heaven seems because I know I will meet you there one day.

Tommorrow we will gather together at Hope Church. We will cry. We will be sad - because we have lost the joy of your presence and we are selfish people.

But we will rejoice because we know you are watching from within the shelter of El Shaddai. We will offer praise to God for His great gift of salvation that gave you the assurance of eternal life. We will not sorrow as those who have no hope. For we do have hope. We have the sure and certain hope of seeing you one day on that glorious shore.

Tomorrow we will do our best to CELEBRATE your life. And eternally we will celebrate the LIFE of GOD!!

Goodnight, sweet sister - until we meet again. You will be in our hearts always.