SDA Hymnal #419
Soon shall the trump of God
Give out the welcome sound,
That shakes death's silent chamber walls,
And breaks the turf-sealed ground
You dwellers in the dust,
Awake, come forth, and sing;
Sharp has your frost of winter been,
But bright shall be your spring.
'Twas sown in weakness here;
'Twill then be raised in power;
That which was sown an earthly seed
Shall rise a heav'nly flower.
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| Quilt square I made for Caitlin |
I can hardly wait to hear the beautiful sound of
Caitlin's voice singing God's praises when He comes to wake her from her peaceful rest.
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| At Emily's Wedding, July 2012 |
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| Ampersand Mountain, Summer 2008 |
I could share many memories of Caitlin, as could many of her friends. She was beautiful inside and out and exuded joy. She used to like to talk about "God colors," as she called them. I remember her talking about how we are like prisms, and when God's light shines in and through us, we reflect the "God color" that He wishes to show to the world through our unique beauty. If anyone knew about reflecting God's love and beauty, it was Caitlin.
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| Playing for worship at Camp Cherokee |
Caitlin also loved music; she played her violin with so much emotion, and she had the most melodious alto voice. She loved to harmonize. And she loved to sing lullabies. She would sing them to Christy, Christen, and me when we were all suitemates in college. My favorite was, "If I could, I would give you wings..." She also sang them to her cabins full of girls when she worked as a counselor at Camp Cherokee.
But by far, my favorite memories of Caitlin were our heart-to-heart talks. She was famous for them. She always, always made time for people-- to listen to them pour out their woes, to comfort them with soft words, prayers, and love. The day she flew up to Maine, she made time for Timothy and me to come visit her for a while. She sat in her recliner while I stroked her hair, and she listened with grace. She listened and she also took time to share from her heart; despite the fact that her voice was gone, she whispered words of encouragement and shared her own thoughts and cares.
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| With Shaila at Christy's wedding |
Last night as Timothy and I were having worship together, we decided to sing "I Wanna Go to Heaven." But when we got to the line, "And when I get to Heaven, I'll cast my crown at Jesus' feet," I couldn't sing for the tears that choked my voice.
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| Christy's bridal shower |
When Caitlin and I were suitemates, there was one Friday night that she and I sat out in the lobby of the second floor in the Girls' Dorm and talked. I was going through a very rough time emotionally, and we were talking of Heaven. We talked about Revelation 4:10, 11 and how it says that the 24 elders cast their crowns at Jesus' feet and praised His name. Caitlin and I talked about how when we got to Heaven we were going to lay our crowns at Jesus' feet because He is the one who is deserving of honor and glory. Our part as heirs with Jesus in the Kingdom of Heaven will not be won by our efforts, but by the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and to Him belong each of the crowns that we will wear in Heaven.
I can hardly wait to stand side by side with Caitlin and lay our crowns at Jesus' feet. I only pray that that day will come soon that we may all be forever with our God.
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| At Christy's Wedding, June 2010 |
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| At Martina's Wedding, May 2012 |
