For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38, 39.
Have you ever been connected to someone you’ve never met? Or felt you knew someone you’ve never seen? I feel that way about the Young Royals, and I was especially close to Princess Diana. I knew about her favorite causes, her tastes in fashion, her love for her children, and lots of other trivia. I even had a long conversation about her with one of the attendants at Windsor Palace during a visit and was confirmed in my sense of her depth of compassion.
But there’s someone else I have known and never met. She was an amazing star in the galaxy of young equestriennes and was featured in countless newspaper articles, even in National Geographic, because of her prodigious skills as a rider. Not only that, but I read an article that said her doting father had gifted her with a stable and eighteen or twenty show horses as an expression of his love.
When she’d tired of winning trophies for riding, she went on to excel in competitive ice skating. And then there was swimming. Essentially, Libby had and did it all. Additionally, every photograph I’ve seen (and there have been many) shows her to have been a stunning beauty—classic features, golden blonde hair, beautiful figure.
There are major gaps in the story that I don’t know. After all, she was only in my life a few years. But not many days ago Libby left this world. I am sad at her leaving and sad that I never got to meet her. There are so many things I would like to have talked about with her. I would like to know how such a young person could excel at so many things. What was her motivation? I want to know about her travels and adventures with her dashing husband. And, of course, I want to know about her faith in Jesus. Yes, I have lots of questions.
And yet, with all her larger-than-life accomplishments, to my thinking Libby’s greatest contribution was that little girl she and charming Bill brought into the world. The one who would dazzle us with her love, compassion, outreach, boundless energy, and, yes, record achievements. The one who would grow up to marry my son and be the mother of two of my precious grandchildren. All that was good of Libby and her remarkable gifts will live on through them.
Libby, I really wish I’d known you, but I can’t thank you enough. May God rest your soul.
AMEN.
agodforeveryday 