I love candles, I love the smell and the ambiance they create.
But the fact is I wait for special occasions, like company coming or welcoming
my kids when they come home to enjoy the extravagant treat. I sometimes have
had to dust off the tops before I could indulge in the dancing flame that flows
from the colorful wax. Much time goes by as they lay in wait for that grand occasion.
Because our grandparents were married 100 years ago this
year my cousin, Sharon decided that we should have a reunion to celebrate that occasion.
I had wonderful talks with this friend leading up to this gathering about
everything from our sometimes checkered ancestry to what is important in life. In
many conversations, we would finally conclude that we should do what makes us
happy in the now and not wait because we never know how much time we have. Her beautiful
flame flickered brightly in my life as it always has as she used her many years
of living to bring understanding to us both as we took on the cares of the
world. As I look back on the last couple of months and the meeting of hearts
that took place, I witnessed her flame burst forth in love as we talked about
life, death, and what the bible says about heaven. The glorious ambiance that
enveloped us both could only be God-given. We shared concerns as well as a love
we had for our Savior. We laughed about times gone by and was hearkened to joy
by the thought of our Lord. A few days ago this beautiful flame went out here
on earth but I’m sure it burns brightly before the throne of our Father.
This morning as I stumbled down the stairs in the black of
night for my quiet time with my precious Lord, my mind went to Mary Sharon Ryan
my life-long friend the precious blessing the Lord bestowed on me. I lit
candles because as my sweet cousin would say, every day is a special occasion and
is worthy of celebration. In my mind’s eye, I see her flame reflecting on the
streets of gold as she entered the City. I hear the Lord say, ”Well done my
good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.”
As for me, I no longer say, “Whoever dies with the most
candles, wins” I pledge to light those candles in celebration of yet another
day God has given me to tell about His unfailing love. Then someday, I will
join her in that wonderful place the Lord has gone to prepare for us and my
forever friend and I will talk for all eternity.
Mary Sharon Ryan
1940-2021
Hallelujah, she’s
home!
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