JenSen
January 24th 2008, 12:16 PM
This was her place on Theologyweb, so I wanted to share some memories none of you'll probably know about.
I met Laura at church one sunday in late spring. She was crouched down on the front lawn, playing peekaboo with a little kid. I smiled and said hi but didn't talk to her until after the service. I thought it just looked cute. Afterwards I introduced myself and asked what brought her to the church, and she said she was looking for "an offline church family" and hoped to be able to visit mine sometimes. I thought the comment was a little funny, but I didn't realize until later that she already had an ONLINE family. it made sense when I found that out.
We talked a lot. We got to know each other. We went out for coffee. Well... sort of. She drank the coffee, I ate a muffin and we'd just catch up. She told me about work (she worked for a cable company), about how some aspects of her job really challenged her... like when someone would call in screaming, or when someone would call in wanting to order something 'inappropriate'. I asked her what she did and she told me she prayed through the call, tried to calm the person down or tried to give them a reason to try some other kind of material instead, like a good new family movie or thriller or whatever. And she said a lot of the time it worked.
She was pretty involved in her community. Not officially and not in a big way, but in a personal way... she showed up for a lot of different stuff... when someone from a support group needed to talk, when a friend was having an art openhouse down at the gallery downtown, when someone needed help or when someone needed a babysitter for an hour she was there. Like a lot of people she just lived day to day and made the days count.
Nobody's perfect. I'm not, you're not and she wasn't. We argued occasionally, but we made up. She disagreed with her family on a lot.... they, for instance, don't attend church regularly at all and don't use the internet whatsoever so they're wary of both and they suggested several times that she "drop this church business and this forum business" and focus on "real life". But for her, this was very much real life to her. So that tension was there at home but she kept at it.... this was her faith she was talking about and this meant a lot to her. I was so proud of her for just doing her own thing and not backing down. Her family loved her dearly and was always there.. don't get me wrong. but they didn't see why finding a church was important to her and they didn't see why an online community would be important either. Now, I think they'll see. And they'll know. They saw her get a stuffed penguin and a shirt in the mail and they wondered why these people care so much... and my prayer is that it gets them thinking about faith and what someone's faith community means to them. the way laura's meant something to her.
She was a funny person. I laughed so hard with her. She was also a caring person. She'd help people if they didn't have food money or rent money and I don't think she saved up a lot this last year. It didn't matter to her. As for me, It was not going well where I was living, my room mate wasn't paying bills and I had a scary landlord. She invited me to move and stay with her and just with groceries and such when I could, to help me get back on my own feet. I couldn't believe how awesome that was. I was grateful to her and her folks, since they were as kind as she was for coming up with that idea. And after I moved in I got to know her even better and it was like having a sister there. I did help her out when she needed it, but she helped me more than I could ever tell you. I loved her and love her now and I miss her so horribly. Waiting until I see her again is going to be a very long wait but I know I WILL see her again and that's the main thing.
She lived 22 years and overall she did her best to live them well. She learned a lot, she made many many friends and those of us who've only known her a while, less than a year as I have, all wish we'd known her longer. She was full of joy and hope this last year and a bit, and I am so grateful for that. her faith did that and her posting here did that for her, and I join you in saying how much I miss her and wish we had her, but now she's with God, the one who gave her to us, and that's the best thing I am trying to focus on now. I'm staying with a friend, letting her family just be together, for another day or so. On friday afternoon everyone's going to a family friend's house whose a pastor, for a memorial service and I imagine that house will be packed.
See you later, my friend. I love you
I met Laura at church one sunday in late spring. She was crouched down on the front lawn, playing peekaboo with a little kid. I smiled and said hi but didn't talk to her until after the service. I thought it just looked cute. Afterwards I introduced myself and asked what brought her to the church, and she said she was looking for "an offline church family" and hoped to be able to visit mine sometimes. I thought the comment was a little funny, but I didn't realize until later that she already had an ONLINE family. it made sense when I found that out.
We talked a lot. We got to know each other. We went out for coffee. Well... sort of. She drank the coffee, I ate a muffin and we'd just catch up. She told me about work (she worked for a cable company), about how some aspects of her job really challenged her... like when someone would call in screaming, or when someone would call in wanting to order something 'inappropriate'. I asked her what she did and she told me she prayed through the call, tried to calm the person down or tried to give them a reason to try some other kind of material instead, like a good new family movie or thriller or whatever. And she said a lot of the time it worked.
She was pretty involved in her community. Not officially and not in a big way, but in a personal way... she showed up for a lot of different stuff... when someone from a support group needed to talk, when a friend was having an art openhouse down at the gallery downtown, when someone needed help or when someone needed a babysitter for an hour she was there. Like a lot of people she just lived day to day and made the days count.
Nobody's perfect. I'm not, you're not and she wasn't. We argued occasionally, but we made up. She disagreed with her family on a lot.... they, for instance, don't attend church regularly at all and don't use the internet whatsoever so they're wary of both and they suggested several times that she "drop this church business and this forum business" and focus on "real life". But for her, this was very much real life to her. So that tension was there at home but she kept at it.... this was her faith she was talking about and this meant a lot to her. I was so proud of her for just doing her own thing and not backing down. Her family loved her dearly and was always there.. don't get me wrong. but they didn't see why finding a church was important to her and they didn't see why an online community would be important either. Now, I think they'll see. And they'll know. They saw her get a stuffed penguin and a shirt in the mail and they wondered why these people care so much... and my prayer is that it gets them thinking about faith and what someone's faith community means to them. the way laura's meant something to her.
She was a funny person. I laughed so hard with her. She was also a caring person. She'd help people if they didn't have food money or rent money and I don't think she saved up a lot this last year. It didn't matter to her. As for me, It was not going well where I was living, my room mate wasn't paying bills and I had a scary landlord. She invited me to move and stay with her and just with groceries and such when I could, to help me get back on my own feet. I couldn't believe how awesome that was. I was grateful to her and her folks, since they were as kind as she was for coming up with that idea. And after I moved in I got to know her even better and it was like having a sister there. I did help her out when she needed it, but she helped me more than I could ever tell you. I loved her and love her now and I miss her so horribly. Waiting until I see her again is going to be a very long wait but I know I WILL see her again and that's the main thing.
She lived 22 years and overall she did her best to live them well. She learned a lot, she made many many friends and those of us who've only known her a while, less than a year as I have, all wish we'd known her longer. She was full of joy and hope this last year and a bit, and I am so grateful for that. her faith did that and her posting here did that for her, and I join you in saying how much I miss her and wish we had her, but now she's with God, the one who gave her to us, and that's the best thing I am trying to focus on now. I'm staying with a friend, letting her family just be together, for another day or so. On friday afternoon everyone's going to a family friend's house whose a pastor, for a memorial service and I imagine that house will be packed.
See you later, my friend. I love you