We love you Mrs. T!

Today I am sad to post that one of our favorite teachers, Mrs. Thompson, has passed away after a sudden diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Mrs. Thompson was a first grade teacher at UCS and taught our sweet K in the 1st grade two years ago. Her daughters are also friends with several of my girls, so their family has influenced us greatly.

When K was in Mrs. T's (as the kids called her) classroom, her love for her Jesus abounded in her teaching skills. What a gift to pour out so much of His love onto precious children. Mrs. T saw a gift that K had, the gift to quickly learn a new skill, (especially math) and move on to a new concept. This is very hard for many students, yet Mrs. T constantly bragged on K's abilities and her gifts. When the hard character moments came for K, Mrs. T handled them with grace, mercy, and love. What a gift and how often I thought as I met and conferenced with her in person or on the phone, I wish I had her patience and love at all times.

Several weeks ago, Mrs. T was admitted to our local hospital after having congestive heart failure, kidney failure and a mysterious mass in her abdomen. The troops amongst our school community began praying hard for healing, we just didn't know what kind of healing God had in store for her. TOTAL HEALING!! That's the best kind, when we are in our total glorified bodies, made new, face to face with Jesus! As tears fill my eyes of the bittersweet joy found in a resurrected body, it still means I must explain death to sweet little K. As I entered her room Friday night, awakened her from an early sleep and told her of the news. I just held her as she sobbed on my shoulder, I thought to myself, the joy of the moment. To share with K the goodness and mercy God bestowed upon Mrs. T, to heal her from ALL sickness and give her a new body. As I prayed aloud through our tears, I thanked God for the influence she had in K's life, and for the answered prayer of total, complete, holy healing. I have full confidence in my faith and Mrs. T's faith that she is with her maker, best friend, and intimate Savior. The Bible tells us to be absent with the body is to be present with the Lord, what mercy and grace he has given us to help us bear the pain and sadness of the moment.

Please be in prayer for the Thompson family as they have two daughters who must live a life without their mother. Though we are sad, we have hope in Jesus! Amen.