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| Collage created by Danielle, "Posse 5" Weekend December 2012 |
How do I express and put into words all that Jesus has given me through the gift of Danielle?
We met back in '96, a time when adulthood was brand new to me and the world was yet to be adventured. She walked into my room where I was getting ready to hang mountain pictures on the dormitory walls that stood high on the flat prairie ground. She said that she knew then that we would be dear friends ... She also was from beautiful BC. I had never met someone so captivating, so full of life and beauty, laughter, good story-telling, and glorious grace. She showed me what Einstein only wrote ... "To be" ... and to be more fully. Her nickname from us was "Life".
We shared many wonderful moments over the past sweet 16 years of knowing each other ... We have walked arm in arm and hand in hand, romped through snow, admired glorious skies, flown together with Wing Ding (aka now my husband), eaten loads of delicious food, cried and prayed, laughed and yelled, witnessed each other's giving of hands to our loves in marriage, made fools of ourselves, driven together through the mountains, explored new territory, hunted for beauty, welcomed lives into this world, captured moments on film, sent packages half-way around the globe, seized many a day together.
In the times of desert-days living overseas, she was a mirage that reflected the Friend that will never leave me nor forsake me. In Danielle I was given a physical example of the Friend I have in Christ.
I thought I might be running into her arms when we returned to Canada ...
But instead, my weary soul heard news that a disease had stolen her from me.
I have spent much of this year mourning.
When 2 weeks ago we read that her body was starting to fail, I went for a long walk ... something I have not done in a long time. And I came home more at peace. One week later I sent her a dozen blue roses and wrote a last note ... I wept. And then one week later, this past Saturday, a rainbow crossed the sky, from one end to the next ... and I somehow thought she was going Home.
I got the call on Sunday night ...
Oh Danielle .... you, my example of abundant life are now healed, whole, freed ... My heart is rejoicing because He has answered all of our prayers for your healing!
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| Hatzic Rainbow |
Makenna asked me on Monday morning, "Why did Danielle die last night?"
I answered, "Well ... her body was too sick to live."
"That's sad," she said, "But it's good because she is with your favourite Friend! Maybe It's her favourite Friend too!"
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| Danielle on her 35th birthday -- just 1 yr ago |
Danielle was welcomed into the presence of Jesus on her 36th birthday.
March 3, 1977 - March 3, 2013