Amy had been rescued many years ago.

Amy was and is a follower of Christ.

As Webster’s defines it…

Rescue (verb) – To free from confinement, danger or evil; to save (deliver) or be recovered by force

Rescuer (noun) – A person who saves someone from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action.

Have you ever felt or been lost, undone, and at your wits end?

I have and you probably have too. Why? How did we get here? It’s from this truth…

We are BROKEN – Living in a BROKEN world.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (Adam*) and death through sin (broken*), so death spread to all people [no one being able to stop it or escape it’s power] because they (us*) all sinned.”
Romans 5:12 (Amplified version)

Moreover…

“There is none righteous [none that meet God’s standard], not even one.” Romans 3:10 (Amplified)

“There is no one who seeks God.” Romans 3:11 (NIV)

“All have sinned and [continually] fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (Amplified)

I am in a spot; we are all in a spot. We are all sinners in the hand of a Holy GOD. We all need to be rescued.

Rescued?
Rescued from what, you ask?

Rescued from ourselves, to start. And ultimately rescued from the penalty of our personal sin against a Holy God.

Now, I’m wondering how am I going to get around or through this – this world, this life, boxed in with seemingly no way out.

Realizing now, the reason behind all the frustration, failures, and how we got here (this wreckage that is life)… I’m BROKEN and everything around me is BROKEN too!

Aaaagh!

I came to a place where I was clueless!

How was I going to survive the next moment, the next hour, the next day… let alone the next week, month, or year?

It wasn’t until I was in despair, darkness, nowhere to turn, the strength in my own PRIDE gone, devoid of all hope. It was in that dire moment – the valley before me – where the reality of needing to be rescued – needing a Rescuer – came to bear. Succumbing – strength and vigor absent.

Amy was GONE.

I needed to be recovered “by Force” (as Webster’s defines it).

Have you been here? Has any of this or similar circumstances come to bear in your life?

God’s Vessel – Amy – a rescued one and a Christ follower.

Yes, AMY! My dear sweet precious Amy. Your daughter, sister, aunt, mother, friend, and my soulmate, my best friend, my confidant, my sweetheart, my completer introduced me to her RESCUER, Christ.

Yes, I knew a lot about God, Christ, and the Bible. But I didn’t know Him (I wasn’t His child, I wasn’t a follower).

Amy knew Him, really knew Him. Amy is HIS!

CHRIST was and is Amy’s Rescuer.
CHRIST was and is Amy’s Savior.
CHRIST was and is Amy’s ever-present help in her times of trouble, in her times of struggle throughout her life, especially as Amy’s body failed her.

I heard Amy echo…

“Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed. Save me and I will be saved. For YOU are my praise.” Jeremiah 17:14 (Amplified)

As Amy would say to me and at times to you as well…

“I’m going to be healed here or in heaven – but make no mistake, God will heal me!!!”

The light of dear, sweet Amy’s faith shined brightest in her final days among us. Amy’s life in those moments pointed ever so clearly, to Christ. TO CHRIST!

Amy wasn’t loud or boisterous about her faith. Yet, didn’t you witness her faith in Christ? Didn’t Amy say through her sweet calming words, in her quite confident, unexplainable peace… “This place is not my home.” As Amy would say, “Please don’t worry about me.”

Dear sweet Amy was always there for YOU, and I can attest Amy was there for ME too! Sweet Amy was always, always there for us all.

Each of you had your own unique relationship with Amy. You each have those special unique moments to cherish and hold dear in your heart. Amy conveyed to each of you individually her love in late December 2018. I can only speak for myself – although I believe, if you’re honest, you saw it too:

The peace that engulfed Amy was undeniable, right? Beyond comprehension, right? Unworldly, right?

Amy lived out this passage of Scripture before us…

“For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced – beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor heights, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” Romans 8:38,39 (Amplified)

A Peace given and a Peace received from her Rescuer, Christ Jesus.

Dear loved ones and friends, I can say if not for Amy enduring all that life threw at her with grace and dignity, I would still be in a sea of misery, floundering on wave upon wave of my own undone-ness. Searching for wholeness in a world with no real answers – searching, yet never finding.

That though isn’t me TODAY!

GOD used Amy’s journey to reveal to me the only real RESCUER this life has to offer,

CHRIST, only CHRIST ALONE

THANK GOD, I’m RESCUED!

These years since Amy has been gone has given me many days, months, and years to reflect on Amy’s life, and our lives together.

God used Amy.

Yes, Amy was flawed! But she was a true follower of Christ, a pilgrim in the narrow way. Amy was always pointing me to the right way – God’s way – though, sadly, most of the time I ignored her.

God has now given me clear eyes to see those moments of our lives together. Over days that have turned to years, I’ve simply tried to pull back the curtain on Amy’s life to give you all a glimpse of who Amy was at her core. To tell the story – albeit imperfectly – of why and Who was responsible for making Amy:

So Unique
SO SPECIAL

I am FOREVER THANKFUL,

GOD gave us this season of time with Amy. It’s through this season and her daily witness before us, that God and Christ used Amy to draw us to a saving faith in HIM.

I have a saving faith in Christ today due to the grace God granted me of having the privilege of witnessing Amy’s life of faith lived before me. A firsthand account of what real faith in Christ looks like this side of eternity.

Today, by God’s grace, I rest in the passage below…

“The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and the One who RESCUES me; My God, my Rock and Strength in Whom I trust and take Refuge; My Shield, and the horn of my Salvation, my High Tower – my Stronghold.” Psalms 18:2 (Amplified)

I pray as you reflect on Amy’s life with you over the years – You might see God and Christ as well…

The RESCUER of souls.

God bless you all,

Love

Greg

 

Addendum

Please find below several passages of Scripture taken from precious Amy’s Bible – passages of Scripture Amy trusted in, rested in, relied on, and held close to her heart.

(All the passages below are NKJV.)

“For He (God*) made Him (Christ*) who knew no sin to be sin for us (all who believe*), that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Christ).” 2 Corinthians 5:21

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him (Christ*)should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son (Christ*) into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He (anyone*) who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who Does Not Believe is CONDEMNED already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (Christ*). And this is the condemnation, that the Light (Christ*) has come into the world, and men (us*) loved darkness rather than Light (Christ*), because their deeds were evil.” John 3:16-19

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He (God*) loved us (all who believe*) and sent His Son (Christ*) to be a propitiation (substitute*) for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

“For WHOEVER calls on the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED.” Romans 10:13

Remember this…

“For by GRACE you have been saved through faith, and Not of yourselves; it is the Gift of God, Not of Works (any of our so-called good deeds or self-righteousness or PRIDE*) lest anyone should Boast.” Ephesians 2:8

And if we believe in Him (Christ, resting in, trusting in, relying on Christ Alone for our salvation) there is this promise…

“Now to Him (Christ*) who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the Power (Holy Spirit and Christ*) that works in us.” Ephesians 3:20

Amy and I now find our peace in this and I pray you do or will too…

“But what things (on earth and of this world that*) were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet, indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of Knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, Not Having My Own Righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the Righteousness which is from God by faith (to all who believe*).” Philippians 3:7-9

And Amy’s favorite verse…

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

By God’s grace I am daily resting in and holding onto Amy’s favorite verse. Remembering each day how Amy lived out her verse before me as personified in the Amplified version…

“I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose – I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” Philippians 4:13

So, beyond words, Amy’s life before me was defined by her inner strength and confident peace.

PRAISE GOD!!

Note: The asterisk (*) and parentheses denote words added for clarity

Acknowledgements

Once again I appreciate my friend, Steve, and my brother-in-law, Chris, for all their efforts to bring this Amy remembrance to you.

End Note

One last thing… I’m still working on one last video as I try to clean up all the pixelated images from the second video. Unfortunately, due to some problems beyond my control, it will hopefully, by God’s grace be completed after the first of the year. If you come across any other images you’d like me to add, feel free to send to my email.