ros

today was ros' funeral. it was lovely and so many people turned up. It's weird but i probably knew Ros less than most people there, yet I loved and respected her. She had that kind of impact because she was like a rock.

What i loved about Ros was the thing that annoyed a lot of people. She was very strong willed and opinionated. I remember when i found out she was moving to Riverside I was so pleased but not everyone was that pleased. And I didn't understand. But I got to see the side they dreaded later on. She knew what she thought was right and pursued it. I loved it. I love people who stand up for what they believe in even if no one is standing next to them. Even when I disagree with them.

She gave us another desperately needed view point to bounce off. She was a traditional christian in a lot of ways and yet she chose to come with us to start a completely different kind of church. She stepped out of the boat in faith.

In the short time i knew her she was no longer interested in the boat! She did new adventurous things which required her to trust the LORD more and more. She planted a seed in Ireland for beach missions - she had no real funds. But the LORD provided. I think when she started this quest for Ireland the attacks on her stepped up a level.

So many things happened to her and her family. Then the cancer. I only saw her once in her home and it upset me at the time. She looked so frail in body but she was strong in spirit. It kept reminding me of my Dad.

I believed the LORD gave me lots of messages that my Dad would live, not just from me but from other mature christians. But I didn't have that about Ros. It seemed like the LORD was calling her home, but i prayed for her spirit to stay strong in her final test. She met more of her grandchildren before she died. To know that the next generation of her family was blossoming. She was big on family.

Ros reminded me of Dad in one important way. She was a rock. So was my Dad. You always think they will be there. His last test was her last test - would they keep leaning on the LORD if they couldn't lean on their own strength anymore? He asks us to surrender all in return he will carry it all for us. In the end I believe my Dad wanted to go home. He had enough and he was ready.

I don't know about Ros, when i saw her in the hospital she seemed to be preparing for the end. Then i saw her at her home and her spirit was still going strong. She was definitely leaning on the LORD and trusting him.

If I know the little I do about Ros, she will have a full calendar already of the many places to visit and jobs to do in heaven...and thinking about how she can organise things better, either that or visiting all her family from the many generations before her.