Written by Vickie Stone from the Village Church
1995 was Lorrie’s diagnosis. She did not know it at the time, but my 35-year-old sister, would have a 5-year battle with breast cancer. Her medical team would tell her, great news: your lymph nodes are clear. They would label her cancer in remission, only to later tell her the cancer had returned and spread to her lungs. And then to her liver. This was so wrong. She was young. Her kiddos were so little, just 3 years and 8 years old at her diagnosis. I was barely back to California from a wonderful trip to Australia, when my brother-in-law Tom told me I should come; the doctors said the disease was progressing. Lorrie, true to her form, had not wanted to “interrupt my special trip” with her latest disease challenge. I left for Ohio immediately. Visiting was hard, we all just wanted to wave a magical wand and return her health to her. Our family was numb and simply lost without our Lorrie, our social director. Lorrie, always the organizer, making plans for our family’s outings and celebrations. How could she be taken from us? She was so needed here. I had so many questions for God as anyone does when they see someone taken so young. A few weeks later, after the funeral, I was back in California, trying to figure out a future without my big sis, my childhood partner in crime, my matchmaker, and my confidant. The phone rang. My best friend in Ohio insisted she had to share what had transpired with her 5-year-old daughter. Her daughter says to her, as they are walking up the stairs in their home, “Lorrie is talking to me.” My friend was naturally quite surprised, yet curious so she simply said: “Oh? What is she saying to you?” The little one, matter of factly replies, “She is telling me that we should be crying only tears of joy!” This little girl’s message provided my entire family such comfort. It was a mystery we gratefully took at face value. Lorrie was letting us know…she was in His glory, she was fine, and she wanted us to be too. Indeed!
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. [Psalm 16:11]
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