A Tale of Two Connies

Today, the Lord ushered into Heaven one of His most faithful servants. He welcomed with open arms, a child of His whom had fought tenaciously a four year battle with cancer. In all my adult life, I have never witnessed such a fighter, using every weapon she knew possible to use in fighting the battle. First, she started with prayer, because she knew from experience there was no other weapon in her arsenal that could yield her better results. Then she summoned an army to join her in implementing that powerful weapon of prayer. It didn't take her long at all to find many willing volunteers for that task. They were swarming around her, just waiting for the chance to lift her up before The Father. She had a way about her that drew people to her. Her love for Christ was just that infectious.



After setting up her protective perimeter of prayer, she then sought the "earthly healers" to do what they do best, providing a medical strategy to fight the battle at hand. She made use of every opportunity before her as she sat in waiting room after waiting room, anticipating her next chemo treatment....for there might be souls among her who didn't know Jesus as their personal Savior. She wondered sometimes while fighting the battle if that was the reason she had the cancer to being with....to lead others to Him. If that was the case, she didn't mind at all. She knew how different their lives would be if they just had Christ walking through their own cancer battles with them.



Sometimes she would grow weary in battle. But when she did, she would recall the faces of her 3 children and her loving husband and muster up the energy to fight a little harder. It was worth it, because she knew how important it was to be there for them every minute she could. There were special events she missed out on, as a treatment or two would wipe out any extra energy needed to be mother and wife. She hoped her family understood that her heart was with them every time they ventured out without her, it was just that her affected body needed to stay in bed. If she was careful how she spent her energy, she would have it left for the really important things. Like when they came home from school and needed a shoulder to cry on. Or when something exciting happened in their teenaged lives, that only a mother could appreciate and cheer on.



Through the years, the battle grew too intense and the energy level began to wain. She had an honest moment with her husband and told him, "I just want to go home, John. I am so tired." He told her what a courageous battle she had fought thus far, and in his heart of hearts he knew she would be saying goodbye to him soon. They were the best of friends, and it had been so difficult for him to see her heart, body, and soul endure as much as it had.



So today, around 1pm, Connie Powers raised her "white flag" to this battle and said "I surrender." But it wasn't raised in defeat! The white flag was in response to her stains being white as snow before her Father. The white flag represented "victory" because the battle was already won a long time ago, on a cross where her Savior died. With Jesus, Lord of her life, Connie had come out the winner, no matter how her earthly battle concluded.



Side Note: In 1991, a very similar story was being lived out in the state of Michigan, by a 40 year old mother of two, and her dedicated husband of 20 years at her side. She lossed the same earthly battle as Connie did, but gained everything in meeting her Savior at an early age. She was my aunt and the one who led me to know what it meant to have an authentic relationship with Christ based on her living testimony. Amazing thing about these women besides their incredible love for the Lord. Both of their names are Connie. Must be something extra special about these Connies that the Lord really desires to have them with Him, instead of here on earth. And as much as that breaks the hearts of those that love them so, having known both of them, I can understand a little bit of why God just couldn't wait to have them all to Himself. They were just that special.