In Memoriam...

Today we celebrated the life of Pam Leyerle.  Pam was the wife of Wally Leyerle, our Associate Pastor of Education.  Pam was a sweet friend, and a lovely women whose gentle spirit was a model of the Proverbs 31 woman.  I was blessed to know Pam, and deeply saddened by the news of her sudden death on the evening of Sunday, October 24.

There is an expression that says that when we meet someone, we take a part of that person with us.  It is unfortunate that in Pam's death, I fully realized her effect on my life.  I believe the greatest lesson she taught me, I did not comprehend until after she was gone:  Encourage those who encourage you.  Pam was a gentle soul who delighted in encouraging others.  She was not at all insincere; she genuinely wanted to know how you were doing.  Occasionally, she would send me an email with some advice or wisdom and would say, "The Lord laid you on my heart today.  I thought you might like to have this."  I'm thankful that I've saved many of them.  I always thanked her, but I wish I had done the same for her.  I can't help but wonder, if the situation were reversed, if she would have said of me, "Jennifer encouraged me." 

I will miss Pam.  Because she was always steadfast in her support of so many of us at church, it does not seem real to me that she is gone.  The ladies at church all seemed to feel the same way that I do.  I hope that her legacy of encouragement and sweetness of spirit will live on in me.  I want to be a woman that others call kind when I am at the end of my days. 

Well, at the very least, I hope that I encourage others.  Maybe it would be a stretch to call me sweet....

Many blessings, and may God bless the Leyerle family,

Jennifer

P.S.  I have my first substitute teaching job tomorrow.  I teach a Kindergarten class. I'm very excited!