Rocky Mountain Climbing #24- Peggy’s Badge
As many of you know we are preparing to move to Colorado. Part of that process is to get rid of some of the stuff we have been carrying around and to rid ourselves of it prior to the move.
Last Sunday, a week ago, I was doing so when I came across a bag we had that included all of the name badges from the first Disciple Bible class we taught 3 ½ years ago. I thought about throwing away the badges when out popped Peggy’s badge. It gave me pause.
You see Peggy has been very ill for a number of months. I couldn’t bring myself to throw away her badge, and felt that finding it was a request for a prayer. And so I did begin to hold Peggy in my prayers.
Peggy died several days later.
Her funeral was on Friday.
When I learned of her passing, I retrieved her name badge. Suzy then found a Disciple “button” that is given away when someone passes the course. I stuck the button into the name badge and took the badge along with the button to the funeral.
Peggy’s illness collected her to Heaven very rapidly, yet she was able to clearly and succinctly setup much of the funeral service prior to her call.
In our sanctuary I distinctly felt the Presence of the Holy Spirit in the church along with the mourners. Peggy was all about life and the pictures that were shared of her life showed that. That is the picture I will always have of her as being full of life.
One of the songs that she chose was the Hymn of Promise, and while I had listened to it any number of times before this day, these words came to life:
“There’s a song in every silence”, and
“In our end there is a beginning.”
At the end of the service was a receiving line of the family, all coming from some distance to be in Dallas to celebrate Peggy’s life, and I was able to pass the badge on to them.
I am taking the rest of the badges with me to Colorado and to wherever else I may go, so that I can hold these friends in my heart forever. It is a small thing, but a necessary thing to do.
