One of the more unique things at Nanci’s service was that she had requested her family be given the opportunity to record some thoughts on video about her rather than having to stand up and speak live. She didn’t want them to be nervous or self-conscious on that weighty day.
I want to share these videos not only to celebrate and remember Nanci (many of you who follow me online didn’t know her personally) but also to learn from how she lived faithfully over her lifetime, and especially in her last four years. People talk about finishing well, but she really did finish SO WELL.
Still, it was hard for Nanci to think of being separated (though temporarily) from her beloved family. In 2019, she wrote in her journal, “My greatest ‘fear’ is not being here for my family: Randy living alone; my grandsons not having me to cheer them on. I fear that resentment toward God might grow in their hearts—or that they will question the efficacy of prayer. I don’t want people to be sad or discouraged because of my death. I really want to stay around and be here for my loved ones. Deep in my heart I really feel that it is not my time to go. I am not afraid of dying. I sometimes get excited about entering Paradise and seeing Jesus and my loved ones and meeting the saints! But of course, God has everything planned. He knows, and I trust Him. Really.”
And for the next years God gave her, she truly did model trusting Him. And then, a week before Jesus took her home, she was surrounded by the other ten of us and spoke into our lives.
I loved what her sister and each of our kids and grandkids had to share about Nanci. The video of our youngest grandson, David, might make you laugh and cry, like it did many of us. But each of them are precious in their own special ways, and you’ll see that too.
Proverbs 31:28 describes Nanci perfectly: “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her.”
