Are you waiting for the next TW event?
Well, don't sit around twiddling your thumbs! Today we can rally up and help a ministry we have in our home church. It even affects some of our own Trinity Women.
As you may know, we lost a sweet member of our lives/church last week. Debbie Wade has finished the race and we are now reflecting on her life, smiling, thinking about what was important to her, still smiling, and wondering what we can do.
Our special needs ministry, The Sonshine Place, is changing rooms and is now getting a chance to grow into a new vision for that ministry. Karen Boecker has dreams for our church family with special needs. We can help by giving to The Sonshine Place ministry. I urge you all to pray about giving to this area, for a one time gift, or a regular commitment. This wonderful (much needed) ministry often gets overlooked, but Debbie reminded us how important it really is.
Each life God creates is important and can be used for God!
Debbie's sister, Sarah gave me permission to re-post this article she wrote. It truly encompasses Debbie's life in a sweet way.
Sister
by Sarah Wade Reimers on Monday, October 25, 2010 at 10:56am
Do you know what happened April 24th 1986? That is the day I became a big sister for the very first time. That is a pretty big deal when you are not even five years old yet. My little sister Debbie was born with spinabifida which the five year old me explained very simply with a shrug of the shoulders as a hole in your back over your spine I think I will stick with that definition although there really was a lot more to it then that.
I remember her being so small like a doll, I remember holding her on the couch while my mom vacuumed the house. I remember Christmas when my parents got her a ball and we started rolling it back and forth she had already figured out what it was before she even opened it, my parents were amazed.
I remember her first electric wheelchair and the bruises it left on all of us as she would run us over stay out of that girls way when she gets mad. I remember David our little brother riding on the back of it yelling trash man as she road him around the house.
Every mile stone she achieved was a victory, every birthday a major event, every vacation a special memory. Debbie was never supposed to live very long never supposed to pick up her head or roll over never supposed to talk and surely would never see her teen years we were supposed to forget about her twenties all together. Debbie was never expected to graduate from school,live on her own or get a normal job yet she managed to do all of those things.
My little sister in a wheelchair with the odds stacked against her managed to do many things that people who are of sound body and mind never manage to do! Debbie loved proving everyone wrong. Every sickness and every surgery she would fight through she would come out of the OR a complete grizzly bear but she would make it home to achieve another mile stone. Haha
Debbie was a tattle tale some kids are taught it is good to tattle others are taught not to and Debbie was of the group who just enjoyed doing it. I think surviving was her way of tattling to God she would be like "God they said I couldn't do it that I would not get through it well look at me now!".
Debbie had faith, faith that could move mountains I am sure. It is easy to have faith when your life is simple or normal and even when complications come your way it is not very hard to believe in God but you have to have a lot of faith when you are born into a body that is so complicated from the start that simple never even is a thought. She had faith in our God who is a healer and her faith remained even when she went unhealed believing that their was a purpose to her suffering. I bet that no one has touched as many lives with no intention of doing so then Debbie has.
Debbie's faith and belief in God was child like she never questioned it and it never faltered. Going home to visit with her this last time I was in awe at how mature she was. I still tend to think of everyone as if they were frozen in time ten years ago when I left home. To me Debbie was still a 13 year old girl that my mother did most of the talking for. Yet there she was using medical terms and directing her own life that little baby I had held a full grown woman on her death bed in front of me. It was wonderful holding her hand hugging on her talking about heaven.
Debbie and I often butted heads growing up mom said we were to much alike to much like our father and she was right but we still loved each other and talking about heaven is so easy for us to do. I was fiercely her sister and she was fiercely mine I never saw her as being different or disabled and I made sure she knew it. I have always had high expectations for all of my siblings actually for everyone that I meet and I can honestly say that Debbie met those expectations that I am so very proud of her.
That mature outspoken little sister of mine that I got to spend two wonderful last days with has more then exceeded any expectations I ever had for her life and I always knew she would be amazing. I would have given anything to have just a little bit more time enjoying her life with her but I will always treasure the time I did get.
Debbie is a part of me she helped shape my life and make me the person I am today. I do not know, I could not even imagine what my life would have been like if Debbie had not been or was different in any way. Debbie is a super star, her favorite color is purple actually violet, she loved cats and dogs and children, she was a witness, a testimony of God's love, a fearless example of faith, a mighty warrior, Debbie was and is many great things but most importantly of all Debbie is my little sister and I love her!
Deborah Rose Wade A gift given on April 24th, 1986 till October 24th, 2010 and always cherished in our hearts till we see her again.
I remember her being so small like a doll, I remember holding her on the couch while my mom vacuumed the house. I remember Christmas when my parents got her a ball and we started rolling it back and forth she had already figured out what it was before she even opened it, my parents were amazed.
I remember her first electric wheelchair and the bruises it left on all of us as she would run us over stay out of that girls way when she gets mad. I remember David our little brother riding on the back of it yelling trash man as she road him around the house.
Every mile stone she achieved was a victory, every birthday a major event, every vacation a special memory. Debbie was never supposed to live very long never supposed to pick up her head or roll over never supposed to talk and surely would never see her teen years we were supposed to forget about her twenties all together. Debbie was never expected to graduate from school,live on her own or get a normal job yet she managed to do all of those things.
My little sister in a wheelchair with the odds stacked against her managed to do many things that people who are of sound body and mind never manage to do! Debbie loved proving everyone wrong. Every sickness and every surgery she would fight through she would come out of the OR a complete grizzly bear but she would make it home to achieve another mile stone. Haha
Debbie was a tattle tale some kids are taught it is good to tattle others are taught not to and Debbie was of the group who just enjoyed doing it. I think surviving was her way of tattling to God she would be like "God they said I couldn't do it that I would not get through it well look at me now!".
Debbie had faith, faith that could move mountains I am sure. It is easy to have faith when your life is simple or normal and even when complications come your way it is not very hard to believe in God but you have to have a lot of faith when you are born into a body that is so complicated from the start that simple never even is a thought. She had faith in our God who is a healer and her faith remained even when she went unhealed believing that their was a purpose to her suffering. I bet that no one has touched as many lives with no intention of doing so then Debbie has.
Debbie's faith and belief in God was child like she never questioned it and it never faltered. Going home to visit with her this last time I was in awe at how mature she was. I still tend to think of everyone as if they were frozen in time ten years ago when I left home. To me Debbie was still a 13 year old girl that my mother did most of the talking for. Yet there she was using medical terms and directing her own life that little baby I had held a full grown woman on her death bed in front of me. It was wonderful holding her hand hugging on her talking about heaven.
Debbie and I often butted heads growing up mom said we were to much alike to much like our father and she was right but we still loved each other and talking about heaven is so easy for us to do. I was fiercely her sister and she was fiercely mine I never saw her as being different or disabled and I made sure she knew it. I have always had high expectations for all of my siblings actually for everyone that I meet and I can honestly say that Debbie met those expectations that I am so very proud of her.
That mature outspoken little sister of mine that I got to spend two wonderful last days with has more then exceeded any expectations I ever had for her life and I always knew she would be amazing. I would have given anything to have just a little bit more time enjoying her life with her but I will always treasure the time I did get.
Debbie is a part of me she helped shape my life and make me the person I am today. I do not know, I could not even imagine what my life would have been like if Debbie had not been or was different in any way. Debbie is a super star, her favorite color is purple actually violet, she loved cats and dogs and children, she was a witness, a testimony of God's love, a fearless example of faith, a mighty warrior, Debbie was and is many great things but most importantly of all Debbie is my little sister and I love her!
Deborah Rose Wade A gift given on April 24th, 1986 till October 24th, 2010 and always cherished in our hearts till we see her again.
To those who knew you off afar, you held, also a special place in our hearts. Your meek, yet persistent strength was observed with admiration, that one could appear so feeble, yet, be so so strong was encouragement for many. As believers we know we will meet again. I pray for comfort for those you left behind, many a ha! moments in the special memories we have of you. Adieu dear Debbie, as we part, to never part again. May you rest in eternal peace in the bosom of our Lord and Savior
ReplyDeleteSade Owolabi.
Debbie was special to me because I had a brother born with spina bifida who only lived 4 months. Several times I talked with Phyllis and Debbie about him. Debbie let me see what life might have been like for him had he lived. I loved Debbie's smile and she always had a hug for me. I loved her genuinely. I am so grateful to have known her.
ReplyDelete