April 4, 2021
My name is Nancy Sparks, and my family has been part of Bear Creek Church for over 20 years. In this Easter season, which is about hope, we have a story of hope for our family.
Our story of hope comes out of the life of our daughter, Keri.
She was just such a light. She came into the world, fun and funny, and that laughter and that view on the world lasted every day, and she loved the Lord. And just coming to know him, even changed more the fact that she wanted to worship Him. She had just complete trust, the way that she believed he cared about her. When she was in college, she really obviously began to major in art and so she had an artist statement that she made before, like a senior art show. And she, in that statement, said that she wanted her art to show the truth.
Well, she knew that she was sick, long before we ever knew what was wrong. Without knowing what was going on, she just began that whole year prior to diagnosis, beginning to really rely on the Lord and coming to a place to where she just was willing to just rest in him. To see someone suffering so much, I can read words she wrote that talked about unbearable pain and side effects or just really struggling. But she did not demonstrate that. She just persevered in such a way that just showed joy and light and absolute, honestly, hope. Keri and Bryson quickly went to Hebrews 6:18 and 19 that just talked about that this hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for the soul. And they just clung to that - anchored to that - through their journey. That was our banner, that was the plan was that we would pray; we would trust the Lord; we would hope. Christ is our hope and that anchor - he is our anchor - and clinging to him is what gave her the strength to just face every day.
It was just days before her passing and she began to talk. I feel confident that she was seeing glimpses of home. And she just seemed so excited. She just talked about going.
Keri:
God's plans are better.
And they're good.
And He is faithful to love us. And even when we can't.
And Jesus is near. He is so close. I can hear His voice.
I heard His voice in different ways but to hear him in his true voice...
That'll be the day.
Her hope is contagious. It just really rooted and grounded us in the knowledge to keep pressing on in believing in the Lord in the hope that Christ offers.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul