"Softly and Tenderly"

I haven't written anything in a long time.  My heart is hurting.  

At 3:17am on Monday, February 4, 2013, my friend Angie "slipped the surely bonds of earth to touch the face of God."  

She fought the good fight.  She kept the faith.  

Our last 3 weeks with her were a whirlwind of emotions as we watched her fade right before our eyes. 

One week ago today, we laid the body of my best friend into the ground to await the trumpet call when the dead in Christ will rise.  I promised her that I would stay with her to the end and I did.  I left her house a few hours before she slipped away, but I stayed at the graveside until the last shovel of dirt was laid.  It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I promised.  

During those last precious days, when I would first go into her bedroom, I always told her I loved her.  And when I would leave, I would always tell her I loved her.  I wanted so frantically to make sure she understood just how much I treasured her.  

I read scripture, mostly the Psalms to her.  I read every prayer I could find that would give us comfort. We prayed over and over and over.  We sang.  Well, I sang while she listened and sang in her heart.  For a few days, she would actually mouth the words with me sometimes.  I sang every song I could think of, but the song she seemed to relax to the most was "Softly and Tenderly". I could literally see a change in her breathing and the struggle when I sang

"Come home....come home...ye are are weary come home. Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling, calling O Angie, come home." 
  
When I realized how much it relaxed her for me to sing that song, I sang it as much as I could with her.  Many times I got as close to her as I could and sang a whisper into her ear.  I have experienced many holy, sacred moments in my lifetime, but none compares to singing with my friend as she got closer and closer to seeing the angels of glory escort her into eternity.   

On November 30, 1980 I became a born again Christian, child of the King.  The song that was sung the morning I gave my life to Christ, was "Softly and Tenderly."  In the last few days and hours of Angie's life, it became a victory song to remind her that we would all be ok and that her boys would be taken care of. But more importantly, the song called her home...her eternal home. 

I've learned so much as we've walked this journey called cancer.  I want to chronicle it so that her future grandchildren will know just how marvelous she was.  And I will post some of that.  

But for now....I miss my friend.