I recently heard about this amazing girl named Abby. I’ve never met her though. Its kinda weird to think about admiring someone you don’t know, but its possible because I admire her so much! This incredible young lady just went to be with the Lord and I know that she is up there singing praises to our almighty God. I had heard a little bit about her because she was my friend’s cousin, but not too much. As her life started unfolding, and I heard more and more things about her, I began to love this girl. Katie Sherrod says, “We were so encouraged when we read Abby's letter to her cousin, Hannah, that beautifully expressed her understanding of death after the heavenly departure of her 16 year old friend, Landon. She wrote the following:"I have a peace about Landon's death....I know God has a plan but one does want to ask why He would take the life of someone so young who was living for Jesus. Couldn't have God used him better on this earth? When I ask these questions, two things come to mind:
1. There are just some things we will never understand.
2. 'Better is one day in His courts than a thousand elsewhere' (Psalm 84:10)
If we could see what Landon is seeing now, we would never want him back!"Abby got it! "To live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21)." To see so much faith and in such a young girl is overwhelming! It seemed as if God was preparing Abby for when she died.
Last summer Abby went to visit her cousins here in Tyler. When she returned home, she wrote a letter to each of them telling them a characteristic that she liked about them and giving them each a Bible verse. She wrote one to Jordan saying:
Dear Jordan,
Continue to look to Him for guidance in your life and encourage others to do the same you and me have been given extra responsibility in our family, cause we are the oldest so we have even more pressure than our siblings. It’s scary if you really think about it! We have a lot of eyes watching us to see how we react to life. Love continues to run the race and fight the fight because we have a bunch of young soldiers learning from us. Proverbs 10:17 says, “He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.”
She was younger and yet she still encouraged others who were older. Also, her cousin told of an amazing miracle which happened before her death.
Becky writes, “As a testimony of God’s sovereignty I must share this story. On Tuesday March 31st (the day before Abby went to be with Jesus) I was heading home from class. I was listening to my ipod as I always do when I ride the Tiger Transit. I had it on Chris Tomlin shuffling (songs come up randomly). “I will Rise” began to play… I’ve heard the song one or two times on the radio but I had never listened to it all the way through. It usually takes me around 15 minutes to get home when I ride the Transit. By the time I reached my duplex I had listened to the song 4 or 5 times. I fell in love with the song. In my heart I kept feeling like I needed to go home and learn this song, the Lord had placed this huge burden on my heart that it needed to be learned that day, not tomorrow, and not Thursday. So I drove over to my parents and called the kids downstairs (Whit, Ans, and Little) and explained that I had heard this song and felt like we should learn it. I told them I thought we might sing it in church soon… So immediately we began to learn it. This NEVER happens by the way. I taught them parts and I learned it on the piano within hours. The kids loved it! It was on my heart all day, and the lyrics played over and over in my head. I continued on with my day, went to my last class and wrapped up my day later on that night. Mom called me around 6:50 am on Wednesday April 1st. She told me that Abby had gone to be with Jesus. As I stated above, I was floored. I could NOT believe it. When I hung up, immediately “I will rise when he calls my name no more sorrow, no more pain………” came to mind. The lyrics began to play in my head again. It was then that I KNEW the Lord had given me this song on Tuesday to prepare my heart for the news I had received. An hour or so after mom had called me, I text Uncle Ty (Abby’s dad) and told him he HAD to listen to this song ASAP! A little while later he replied with this, “Beck, yesterday (Tues.) on the way home from the doctor, Abby heard that song on the radio in the car with Traci (Abby’s mom) and she said, “Mom that is MY song!”” That is the sovereignty of God, friends. He knows our hearts, He knows our struggles, He knows our pain, and He knows the number of our days. He was preparing my heart for the news I’d received and He was preparing Abby’s heart for eternity with Him. Aunt Katie and Uncle Chris were coming from Tyler, TX on Wednesday – they heard the song in the car as well and Aunt Katie had written it down, thinking this might be a good song for the celebration service. Little did she know, the Lord had already taught it to me and given it to Abby the day before. God is good.”God is so amazing! He works every little detail out before it happens! (the lyrics for the song are posted below)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Abigail Ford: Jordan Sherrod (cousin)
Abigail Ford-
My cousin is in complete and absolute satisfaction. She is dwelling in the sight of Love, Joy, and Peace. I am so Jealous of her, and her ability to now stand in an everlasting Glory that would blind us at the smallest glimpse of it!! In the Book of Ezekiel, several times it talks about Ezekiel seeing the glory of God, simply the GLORY of God, not even God, and every time Ezekiel sees it "Coming" he falls flat on his face in Pure awe. I am so Jealous that Abby can now stand in the presence of my Master and withstand his Glory and soak in the overwhelming warmth that explodes from the very heart of GOD!!!! like she said, "If we were to see her now, we would never want her back."............but we can't see her. We can only imagine. And until we get there too, we are going to have to be reminded, constantly, that she IS in a better place. I miss her so much. My cousin accomplished in fourteen years, what some people have accomplished in what we humans call a "lifetime". Sometimes I really do wish I could die and join her, and I'm sure a lot of other people think the same way.....but that would mean giving up the Mission. Failing, on purpose. That is not what we were sent here to do. Why was she here? She was here to serve her master, and she did it whole-heartedly. That's why we are here, to serve our master, and until he calls me into his presence I am going to stay here and accomplish my mission that my King has sent me on. So when we think of Abby, we don't think of her as a comrade that has tragically fallen in a battle during the mission, but we think of her as a Glorious soldier who has finally completed the mission that her king sent her on and now stands by the side of her King receiving the glorious rewards that are given to her for completing the mission, code named, "life".
Some people could care less about what their quest in life is, but Abby was a God-centered, Bible-saturated, Kindom-seekin', Jesus-Lovin', kind-hearted, Peace-finding, Joy-filled, happy-hearted, Prayer warrior who sought out the Kingdom and His will with all her heart.
So many times, when I was discouraged, she came over to me and encouraged me with sweet, gentle words that reflected the righteousness of God. Even when she was in the midst of turmoil and sorrow, she managed to encourage everyone around her.
Were going to miss her and it sure will be hard, but at least we have our King, and Abby's King, who will be "By our side wherever we fall, in the dead of night whenever we call so please don't fight the hands that are holding you. HIS hands are holding you."
-Jordan
My cousin is in complete and absolute satisfaction. She is dwelling in the sight of Love, Joy, and Peace. I am so Jealous of her, and her ability to now stand in an everlasting Glory that would blind us at the smallest glimpse of it!! In the Book of Ezekiel, several times it talks about Ezekiel seeing the glory of God, simply the GLORY of God, not even God, and every time Ezekiel sees it "Coming" he falls flat on his face in Pure awe. I am so Jealous that Abby can now stand in the presence of my Master and withstand his Glory and soak in the overwhelming warmth that explodes from the very heart of GOD!!!! like she said, "If we were to see her now, we would never want her back."............but we can't see her. We can only imagine. And until we get there too, we are going to have to be reminded, constantly, that she IS in a better place. I miss her so much. My cousin accomplished in fourteen years, what some people have accomplished in what we humans call a "lifetime". Sometimes I really do wish I could die and join her, and I'm sure a lot of other people think the same way.....but that would mean giving up the Mission. Failing, on purpose. That is not what we were sent here to do. Why was she here? She was here to serve her master, and she did it whole-heartedly. That's why we are here, to serve our master, and until he calls me into his presence I am going to stay here and accomplish my mission that my King has sent me on. So when we think of Abby, we don't think of her as a comrade that has tragically fallen in a battle during the mission, but we think of her as a Glorious soldier who has finally completed the mission that her king sent her on and now stands by the side of her King receiving the glorious rewards that are given to her for completing the mission, code named, "life".
Some people could care less about what their quest in life is, but Abby was a God-centered, Bible-saturated, Kindom-seekin', Jesus-Lovin', kind-hearted, Peace-finding, Joy-filled, happy-hearted, Prayer warrior who sought out the Kingdom and His will with all her heart.
So many times, when I was discouraged, she came over to me and encouraged me with sweet, gentle words that reflected the righteousness of God. Even when she was in the midst of turmoil and sorrow, she managed to encourage everyone around her.
Were going to miss her and it sure will be hard, but at least we have our King, and Abby's King, who will be "By our side wherever we fall, in the dead of night whenever we call so please don't fight the hands that are holding you. HIS hands are holding you."
-Jordan
Grieving with hope: Chris Sherrod (uncle)
In John 14:19 Jesus promised, “Because I live, you also will live.”
- We grieve with hope because then we will see Jesus Christ – the hope of glory, our all-surpassing, all-satisfying Treasure, the Author and Finisher of our Faith; He is our LIFE – “To live is Christ and to die is gain!” (Phil 1:21). Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory!” The book of Isaiah was one of Abby’s favorites and just the other day she asked about the passage where Isaiah sees the Lord… “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke” (Isaiah 6:1-4). What a glorious picture – Abby and her Papaw, healed and whole, dancing and worshipping around the Throne, singing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise, for ever and ever!” (Rev 5:12-13)
- We grieve with hope because Jesus Himself now has Abby in His arms. When Abby was eleven, Ty took her out on a date and gave her a Promise Ring. He said to her, “I am promising you that I will love you and cherish you and protect you. And I will do my best to bring you up in the training and instruction of the Lord. And one day when someone comes along that I can completely trust to love you and cherish you and protect you, then I will pass my responsibility on to him.” Wednesday morning, as Abby’s body lay in the emergency room, Ty noticed her hand with the Promise Ring still on it resting out of the sheet. And he realized at that moment that he had kept his promise and that Someone now had her in His arms who was perfectly strong and perfectly able to love and protect her and hold her forever. And so, as he slipped this very ring off her finger, Ty leaned over and whispered, “You are beautiful. Jesus has you now.”
So yes, we mourn, we weep, we miss our sweet Abby – but we do not mourn like those who have no hope. And we also rejoice because of what she left us. We rejoice in her life that brought joy and encouragement through her compassionate and servant’s heart, and her eyes that saw the needs of others and so she spoke words of life and Truth to us. Her hunger and thirst for righteousness reminds us to seek what matters. Her radiance – even in trials – was a reflection of her King, and Abby’s life was adorned with the precious jewels of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight (1 Peter 3:4).But some of you here today can’t rejoice. You are mourning without hope. Death for you is not a doorway ushering you into the presence of your Savior and the Treasure you have valued above all things and longed to see. Death for you is a dead end, an uncertain, vague, unknown event. Let me tell you that you have cause to fear death. Hebrews 9:27 says that each of us are “destined to die once and after that to face judgment.” And God is a perfect, holy and righteous Judge who holds us accountable for every thought, motive, action and careless word. So here is our dilemma: God’s holiness demands perfect obedience, but we don’t have perfect obedience. We are rightfully under the wrath of God. When Isaiah saw God’s glory, he was immediately overwhelmed with his own sinfulness (“Woe to me!” v. 5).
But there is still hope for you; God provided a solution: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rm 5:8) and Christ became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21), taking God’s wrath for our sin upon Himself and providing perfect righteousness for all who would believe – the perfect obedience that I couldn’t offer! For those who trust Christ, we can say, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:9), and also, “there is now condemnation for those who are in Christ” (Rm 8:1).
Psalm 16:8-11 says, “I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
On Abby’s tombstone there will be two dates – her birth date and her homecoming date. In between those dates will be a dash. That dash represents the Christ-centered life Abby lived on earth for an audience of One. So here are two crucial questions: 1.) What are you doing with your dash? Are you chasing what matters or chasing what is meaningless in God’s Kingdom? Abby chose, for example, to invest in God’s Word and prayer. She chose to use e-mail, Facebook and letters as a way to spread the message of God’s love to everyone she knew. 2.) When your second date arrives, will it be a glorious homecoming and joyful reunion, or a fearful moment of judgment because you didn’t accept God’s free offer of forgiveness and righteousness through Jesus Christ?
And so, because of Christ, we trade…our loss for life, tragedy for Truth, sorrow for joy, weakness for strength, heartache for hope and rest, fear and discouragement for courage, devastation and despair for deliverance, turmoil and anger for peace and grace, emptiness for fullness in Christ, sickness and brokenness for healing, guilt for forgiveness and confidence, loss of control for trust in God’s sovereign and perfect plan.
Thanks be to God, we have been rescued! 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 says, “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet… ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin [which has been paid for!], and the power of sin is the law [which has been perfectly fulfilled in Christ!]. Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- We grieve with hope because then we will see Jesus Christ – the hope of glory, our all-surpassing, all-satisfying Treasure, the Author and Finisher of our Faith; He is our LIFE – “To live is Christ and to die is gain!” (Phil 1:21). Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory!” The book of Isaiah was one of Abby’s favorites and just the other day she asked about the passage where Isaiah sees the Lord… “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke” (Isaiah 6:1-4). What a glorious picture – Abby and her Papaw, healed and whole, dancing and worshipping around the Throne, singing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise, for ever and ever!” (Rev 5:12-13)
- We grieve with hope because Jesus Himself now has Abby in His arms. When Abby was eleven, Ty took her out on a date and gave her a Promise Ring. He said to her, “I am promising you that I will love you and cherish you and protect you. And I will do my best to bring you up in the training and instruction of the Lord. And one day when someone comes along that I can completely trust to love you and cherish you and protect you, then I will pass my responsibility on to him.” Wednesday morning, as Abby’s body lay in the emergency room, Ty noticed her hand with the Promise Ring still on it resting out of the sheet. And he realized at that moment that he had kept his promise and that Someone now had her in His arms who was perfectly strong and perfectly able to love and protect her and hold her forever. And so, as he slipped this very ring off her finger, Ty leaned over and whispered, “You are beautiful. Jesus has you now.”
So yes, we mourn, we weep, we miss our sweet Abby – but we do not mourn like those who have no hope. And we also rejoice because of what she left us. We rejoice in her life that brought joy and encouragement through her compassionate and servant’s heart, and her eyes that saw the needs of others and so she spoke words of life and Truth to us. Her hunger and thirst for righteousness reminds us to seek what matters. Her radiance – even in trials – was a reflection of her King, and Abby’s life was adorned with the precious jewels of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight (1 Peter 3:4).But some of you here today can’t rejoice. You are mourning without hope. Death for you is not a doorway ushering you into the presence of your Savior and the Treasure you have valued above all things and longed to see. Death for you is a dead end, an uncertain, vague, unknown event. Let me tell you that you have cause to fear death. Hebrews 9:27 says that each of us are “destined to die once and after that to face judgment.” And God is a perfect, holy and righteous Judge who holds us accountable for every thought, motive, action and careless word. So here is our dilemma: God’s holiness demands perfect obedience, but we don’t have perfect obedience. We are rightfully under the wrath of God. When Isaiah saw God’s glory, he was immediately overwhelmed with his own sinfulness (“Woe to me!” v. 5).
But there is still hope for you; God provided a solution: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rm 5:8) and Christ became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21), taking God’s wrath for our sin upon Himself and providing perfect righteousness for all who would believe – the perfect obedience that I couldn’t offer! For those who trust Christ, we can say, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:9), and also, “there is now condemnation for those who are in Christ” (Rm 8:1).
Psalm 16:8-11 says, “I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
On Abby’s tombstone there will be two dates – her birth date and her homecoming date. In between those dates will be a dash. That dash represents the Christ-centered life Abby lived on earth for an audience of One. So here are two crucial questions: 1.) What are you doing with your dash? Are you chasing what matters or chasing what is meaningless in God’s Kingdom? Abby chose, for example, to invest in God’s Word and prayer. She chose to use e-mail, Facebook and letters as a way to spread the message of God’s love to everyone she knew. 2.) When your second date arrives, will it be a glorious homecoming and joyful reunion, or a fearful moment of judgment because you didn’t accept God’s free offer of forgiveness and righteousness through Jesus Christ?
And so, because of Christ, we trade…our loss for life, tragedy for Truth, sorrow for joy, weakness for strength, heartache for hope and rest, fear and discouragement for courage, devastation and despair for deliverance, turmoil and anger for peace and grace, emptiness for fullness in Christ, sickness and brokenness for healing, guilt for forgiveness and confidence, loss of control for trust in God’s sovereign and perfect plan.
Thanks be to God, we have been rescued! 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 says, “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet… ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin [which has been paid for!], and the power of sin is the law [which has been perfectly fulfilled in Christ!]. Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Are You Ready for Heaven: Ansley Kate (cousin)
I think about myself and have to ask, am I ready for Heaven? Would I want Jesus to take me now? Would He say, "Well done my good and faithful servant. You have done all that I asked of you, you have lived your life according to My Word."Think about yourself... Are you prepared to give an account before Jesus?...Are you living your life for Christ like there's no tomorrow? We are not guaranteed tomorrow. We are not even guaranteed another breath. When God sees what you do, does He smile?...Life is but a breath, get serious now! NOW is the time!! Jesus is the ABSOLUTE BEST thing we could live our lives for. We are PRIVILEGED to be ambassadors for Christ. What are you doing to further the kingdom?
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." Matthew 24:35
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." Romans 1:16
This earth will soon pass away... make an ETERNAL difference. Live unashamed.
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." Matthew 24:35
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." Romans 1:16
This earth will soon pass away... make an ETERNAL difference. Live unashamed.
14 years of life: Becky Knight (cousin)
As sad as this week has been, the closeness of Jesus has been indescribable and I would not trade this for anything. He is enough. Wednesday morning when my mom called me with the news that Abby had gone to be with Jesus my first thought what “WHAT IN THE WORLD, THERE’S NO WAY!?” I kept repeating this over and over all day long. I couldn’t get it off my mind. I was initially angry with God. I kept asking WHY? Why someone who has been such a light in the midst of darkness. Why someone who loves you with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength! Why someone who is only 14 YEARS OLD? Why someone who is fighting so hard through her struggles yet STILL giving Jesus the glory… Why? Why Abby, God? Why not me? His will is best. Abby lived her life – she finished the race and left a legacy like none other.
She is gone, but 1 Thess. 4:17 says, “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” That is a beautiful picture. Heaven is beyond me, but His promises I cling to. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see (Heb. 11:1).
She is gone, but 1 Thess. 4:17 says, “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” That is a beautiful picture. Heaven is beyond me, but His promises I cling to. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see (Heb. 11:1).
Fit for the King: Katie Sherrod (aunt)
If life were fair, I tremble with great fear at what I truly deserve. Why, O Great God? Why are you so good to us? I do not have an answer. I am overwhelmed by your grace and mercy. We thank you, Mighty God, for the gift of Abby. You knew how much we needed her in our lives. We surely did not deserve such a blessing. Her life was absolutely beautiful and its impact and message will continue to speak. What a beautiful little bride who was ready to meet her Maker - the perfect Bridegroom - appointed at the proper time! She was clothed in pure white and adorned with the rare jewels of a gentle and quiet spirit (1 Pet 3:4)- a deep settled confidence of knowing God is in control. Abby's life story is well-written and complete. Our Author makes no mistake.
Warrior chicks never quit, they only get tougher when the battles come! Thank you, sweet Abby, for being a living example of what it means to be a passionate follower of Jesus! Your life has inspired me to fight for the cause of Christ with greater boldness and urgency. Your incredible gifts of encouragement, by word and deed, have not been given in vain. Our lives are changed because of you. Well done, sweet girl!
Warrior chicks never quit, they only get tougher when the battles come! Thank you, sweet Abby, for being a living example of what it means to be a passionate follower of Jesus! Your life has inspired me to fight for the cause of Christ with greater boldness and urgency. Your incredible gifts of encouragement, by word and deed, have not been given in vain. Our lives are changed because of you. Well done, sweet girl!
Monday, April 27, 2009
"I will rise" by Chris Tomlin
There's a peace I've come to know Though my heart and flesh may fail There's an anchor for my soul I can say, "it is well" Jesus has overcome And the grave is overwhelmed The victory is won He is risen from the dead Chorus: I will rise when He calls my name No more sorrow, no more pain I will rise on eagles' wings Before my God, fall on my knees And rise I will rise There's a day that's drawing near When this darkness breaks to light And the shadows disappear And my faith shall be my eyes Jesus has overcome And the grave is overwhelmed The victory is won He is risen from the dead And I hear the voice of many angels sing "Worthy is the Lamb" And I hear the cry of every longing heart "Worthy is the Lamb
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