A tribute to a dear friend.

Early this morning I received a text message that I lost a dear friend, Marla, last night.  It's hard to share the impact this news had on me unless I give you the context of our relationship.  When you immediately meet Marla she is so warm and kind.  Days after I started as an admissions counselor at Trinity she asked if she could take me to Panera for lunch.  I learned a lot about Marla during that lunch- mainly that we were very different.  Marla was introverted, genuine and sincere, and had such a mature walk with the Lord which gave her much wisdom.  I was (and still am to some extent ;) ) extroverted and loud, young and fresh out of college, and a relatively new Christian.  I still wonder to this day what she thought about me after that lunch...

When I transitioned to the events coordinator in our office Marla and I interacted much more and she later became my direct supervisor.   It was during this time we went from just co workers to close friends.  I learned so much about her life on our long car rides together to NACCAP events and through our weekly meetings.  Before she even found out her cancer had returned she had such a love for Jesus and excitement for eternity as she shared about what God was teaching her in the books she was reading and the sermons she heard at her church.  We also spent a lot of time talking about her kids.  I loved seeing her face light up whenever she talked about her boys- whether it was their girlfriends (and now wife :) ) or swim meets or basketball games, she was such a proud mom and cherished every moment she spent with them. Now that I have a son of my own, I can more fully see how Marla was their number one fan- not just in sports but in everything they went through in life.  We shared pregnancy stories when I was expecting and I'll never forget when I told her that I thought I wouldn't need much help from my mom after the baby was born.  She looked down at her desk and laughed and said that I should just wait and see how I feel.  Let's just say my mom sacrificially slept on our couch in our one bedroom apartment the whole week after Jake was born.  Marla couldn't have been more right.  And I'll never forget the joy on her face whenever Jake (or really any baby :) came into the office.

Marla always had visitors at Trinity.  It seemed like once a week someone was in her office just stopping by to say hello- whether they lived in the area or were in town visiting.  I remember thinking early on that there must be something really special about her, if all these people always wanted to see her :)  Her love for the TA's that worked in our office was also so evident.  She always wished she had more time to spend with each of them one on one and we had such a great time planning their yearly trainings and Christmas parties.  And no one in our office could deny that Marla was a great listener.  She probably could have been a counselor if she really wanted to- between Aaron and I constantly going into her office during the day she could have started her own little counseling consulting group on the side :)

And there is obviously all the little things that you can't forget about Marla.  Her laugh.  How she always texted me when she had leftover fries or half of her burger waiting for me if I wanted it.  And I loved how she always texted me when Bob, the security guy at Trinity, was around because I made a comment once that he was pretty good looking for a guy in his 50's :)  I loved how she always had candy in her office and was the first person to introduce to me the Tim Tam slam.  How she loved shoes and whenever she bought a pair that hurt her feet she always willingly gave them to me.  And she loved to dance.  One of my favorite memories of Marla is when we were on a boat in Chicago and her cell phone went off, obviously the ringer was some upbeat song, and Marla just stood up and started jamming to the tune and one of the workers/ "pirates" on the boat came over and started dancing with her.  And I will always remember how at every Sneak Preview Marla would ask to head over to chapel early so she could worship with the students and faculty.  She loved to worship- not just during chapel, but her whole life was about worshiping God.  Marla was such a joy to be around and her love for God was contagious.

Marla, you were so loved and will be dearly missed. I pray I can leave a legacy half as impacting as the one you have left on me and so many others.  What a joy it is for me to know that last night you met our Savior face to face, yet I am so saddened at the thought of how much I will miss your precious friendship here on earth.

"So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18