irene

Found out last night that a friend of mine died of a drug overdose last thursday. Her name was Irene. Who was she?

a saw a girl sitting in the dark with a small candle
her only source of light

She saw light in abundance in the distance.
She went their on Sundays.

But Monday through to Saturday she was surrounded by darkness with only her small candle.
She struggled to keep it's flame burning.

The LORD showed me that we needed to go out and take light to her.
So one day her whole world would be filled with light.

Her candle was burning low and it barely lit up the darkness around her feet.
She needed someone to bring her light.

This was Irene. She came to us not looking for a church but a church family. She sat at church sometimes listening and sometimes far away. She didn't need to hear about the LORD, she needed real examples of the LORD. She needed brothers and sisters that cared and accepted her. She needed friendship and support. She was living in isolation, doing life on her own, not by choice but because it was too hard for others to sacrifice their own lives to stand beside her.

What I admired about Irene was how she held on to her faith, held on to the LORD. Even in her darkest moments when she was angry with him and doubted him, she still talked to him. Her candle never blew out. People with less problems then her would have given up a long time ago. But even when her kids were taken away from her. She had hope. The LORD was still teaching her.

I know I let her down. I hadn't spoken to her in 2 months. We are responsible for each other. She wasn't able to make right choices, but I was. She didn't want pity she wanted friendship, love and acceptance. I wasn't strong enough to give her this.

My hope is in the LORD that he never let go of her and even at the end of her life she had enough light to see her through to his kingdom. She believed in him and I hope and pray that she is finally free from all her burdens. I hope to see her again.