I am sure there was a wild party in heaven this last Sunday.
As the heavens opened up and her soul was carried to heaven, the angels and saints were there rejoicing. A daughter made her way home. After a 16 year battle with cancer, a victory was finally won. In an instant, all the prayers that had been prayed for Penny Hagaman were answered. She was healed. Completely.
I wonder what God said to her the moment she was in His presence. I can only assume, based on her testimony here on earth that he welcomed her with arms open wide and whispered in her ear as he hugged her for the first time, “Well done my good and faithful servant, well done”. “I have been waiting for you”.
I wonder how eager God was to show her all the treasures she had stored up for herself in heaven. And I can only imagine that Penny, overwhelmed with love and gratitude, fell on her face and gave them all back to him. What an honor to be in the presence of the Almighty....finally. She had waited her whole life on earth for this one moment in eternity.
I imagine that they laughed and talked as her Lord walked her down the golden streets to her new mansion. Along the way, they passed the mansions of those she knew on earth that had gotten there first. What a reunion. Her friends. Her family. All reunited with one another again.
I can only think that her mansion was more marvelous than anything she could have ever thought or planned for here on earth. There were flowers in full bloom lining the pathway to the entrance of the most gorgeous log cabin she had ever seen....the rooms on the inside were filled with warmth and peace. There was a fireplace in every room. There was a great feast on the table waiting for her with friends and family present. On the back of the mansion was a deck overlooking a forest filled with rivers and lakes...the outdoorsman’s delight....and in the distance, snow capped mountains....As the wind blew gently; she heard a soft, “tinkle tinkle” of wind chimes. And in the garage sat a brand new mini cooper.
For the first time in ages, she felt whole again. She was happy to be home. Healthy and full of life. At peace, at rest, and complete. She was ready to begin the work God had waiting for her. She joined in the chorus of angels singing praises to her King for all He had given her. She had finally made it home.
But while Heaven gained a very precious Penny, Earth lost one.
“To live is Christ, and to die is gain”. Her gain. Unfortunately, not ours....not yet anyways.
Yes, there is joy when a Christian dies. And yes, it is a new beginning, a graduation into eternity. And yes, we can be full of joy; resting in the fact that we know where they are. But we are still human, with feelings and emotions.... and unfortunately it doesn’t negate the feeling of deep sadness; the vacancy in our hearts... There is a hole left behind that that person once filled. We miss our dear one more than we ever thought. She has gone on to better and brighter things....and we are left behind to bear this life without a friend, a wife, a mother....
It seems a bit.....unfair. Not right. But God, in His Sovereignty has a plan. And it is perfect. And while we don’t understand completely, why He chose to take her so young, we know that she is His....not ours...and it was His right to do so.
I pray for the Hagaman family during this loss. What a loss. From what I knew of Penny Hagaman, she was a remarkable woman of God. She has left behind an amazing legacy. A testimony of God’s love, of His grace. She fought harder in her battle against cancer than anyone I have ever known. She fought to stay here for her husband....her kids. She loved unwaveringly. Steve was her best friend; the love of her life. She fought long enough to see her kids grow up; to teach them values to pass on to their kids. She fought to see them love Jesus in their lives and with their lives. She did well. She has passed the baton on.
She was always giving. Giving of her time. Her money. Her life. She was involved. . In everything and everyone. She wasn’t content sitting on the sidelines; she wanted to be in the game. I have been amazed at the span of lives she has touched. She is respected, valued, and admired. Full of joy; Bright and Shiny. Like a new Penny.
Even though heaven’s gain is our loss right now, our hope lies in the fact that if you believe in Christ, we WILL see her again. Steve and Johnny and Jessi, will all see her again. And I am sure she will be waiting at the gate for them. Ready to show them to their mansions in the sky. But for now, they, we, have to wait. God still has work for us to do here on earth. We were put here to do that.
We bank on this life too much. We think, this is it. But my friends, it isn’t. As I have pondered and prayed these last few days in light of Penny’s home going, I feel more than ever before, a deep sense of urgency to get to work. Really, it is time to stop working for man and start working for the Lord. I have gained a larger ‘eternal perspective’. I desire to know my God deeper so that I can discern the steps He has laid out for me here. I desire to store up ‘treasures in heaven’, not ‘treasures on earth’.
So for that, I can say, “thank you Penny Hagaman”. Thank you for leaving a legacy. Thank you for loving God. Thank you for living each day as if it were your last. We will miss you, but we eagerly await the day we will see you again.
As the heavens opened up and her soul was carried to heaven, the angels and saints were there rejoicing. A daughter made her way home. After a 16 year battle with cancer, a victory was finally won. In an instant, all the prayers that had been prayed for Penny Hagaman were answered. She was healed. Completely.
I wonder what God said to her the moment she was in His presence. I can only assume, based on her testimony here on earth that he welcomed her with arms open wide and whispered in her ear as he hugged her for the first time, “Well done my good and faithful servant, well done”. “I have been waiting for you”.
I wonder how eager God was to show her all the treasures she had stored up for herself in heaven. And I can only imagine that Penny, overwhelmed with love and gratitude, fell on her face and gave them all back to him. What an honor to be in the presence of the Almighty....finally. She had waited her whole life on earth for this one moment in eternity.
I imagine that they laughed and talked as her Lord walked her down the golden streets to her new mansion. Along the way, they passed the mansions of those she knew on earth that had gotten there first. What a reunion. Her friends. Her family. All reunited with one another again.
I can only think that her mansion was more marvelous than anything she could have ever thought or planned for here on earth. There were flowers in full bloom lining the pathway to the entrance of the most gorgeous log cabin she had ever seen....the rooms on the inside were filled with warmth and peace. There was a fireplace in every room. There was a great feast on the table waiting for her with friends and family present. On the back of the mansion was a deck overlooking a forest filled with rivers and lakes...the outdoorsman’s delight....and in the distance, snow capped mountains....As the wind blew gently; she heard a soft, “tinkle tinkle” of wind chimes. And in the garage sat a brand new mini cooper.
For the first time in ages, she felt whole again. She was happy to be home. Healthy and full of life. At peace, at rest, and complete. She was ready to begin the work God had waiting for her. She joined in the chorus of angels singing praises to her King for all He had given her. She had finally made it home.
But while Heaven gained a very precious Penny, Earth lost one.
“To live is Christ, and to die is gain”. Her gain. Unfortunately, not ours....not yet anyways.
Yes, there is joy when a Christian dies. And yes, it is a new beginning, a graduation into eternity. And yes, we can be full of joy; resting in the fact that we know where they are. But we are still human, with feelings and emotions.... and unfortunately it doesn’t negate the feeling of deep sadness; the vacancy in our hearts... There is a hole left behind that that person once filled. We miss our dear one more than we ever thought. She has gone on to better and brighter things....and we are left behind to bear this life without a friend, a wife, a mother....
It seems a bit.....unfair. Not right. But God, in His Sovereignty has a plan. And it is perfect. And while we don’t understand completely, why He chose to take her so young, we know that she is His....not ours...and it was His right to do so.
I pray for the Hagaman family during this loss. What a loss. From what I knew of Penny Hagaman, she was a remarkable woman of God. She has left behind an amazing legacy. A testimony of God’s love, of His grace. She fought harder in her battle against cancer than anyone I have ever known. She fought to stay here for her husband....her kids. She loved unwaveringly. Steve was her best friend; the love of her life. She fought long enough to see her kids grow up; to teach them values to pass on to their kids. She fought to see them love Jesus in their lives and with their lives. She did well. She has passed the baton on.
She was always giving. Giving of her time. Her money. Her life. She was involved. . In everything and everyone. She wasn’t content sitting on the sidelines; she wanted to be in the game. I have been amazed at the span of lives she has touched. She is respected, valued, and admired. Full of joy; Bright and Shiny. Like a new Penny.
Even though heaven’s gain is our loss right now, our hope lies in the fact that if you believe in Christ, we WILL see her again. Steve and Johnny and Jessi, will all see her again. And I am sure she will be waiting at the gate for them. Ready to show them to their mansions in the sky. But for now, they, we, have to wait. God still has work for us to do here on earth. We were put here to do that.
We bank on this life too much. We think, this is it. But my friends, it isn’t. As I have pondered and prayed these last few days in light of Penny’s home going, I feel more than ever before, a deep sense of urgency to get to work. Really, it is time to stop working for man and start working for the Lord. I have gained a larger ‘eternal perspective’. I desire to know my God deeper so that I can discern the steps He has laid out for me here. I desire to store up ‘treasures in heaven’, not ‘treasures on earth’.
So for that, I can say, “thank you Penny Hagaman”. Thank you for leaving a legacy. Thank you for loving God. Thank you for living each day as if it were your last. We will miss you, but we eagerly await the day we will see you again.
2 comments:
Well worded Heather; what more to say...
your words baffle me, i too hope to have this strength and truth of our God you so freely speak of
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