Perhaps you’ve already noticed. Sandy is still with us, and will be till our time comes.  Her spirit is all over our church, in every room, part of every song, within each of our hearts, and watching over us now, so that all our Vine Street kids have their own personal Sunday School Angel in heaven.

 

Here are some thoughts that I shared yesterday at Sandy’s service. 

 

Finding Sandy in the Gospels:

 

• As the single woman who comes to the altar to present her offering. Of course, she came with children, and she gave all she had. Jesus told his disciples that she gave out of her own poverty. “She put in everything she had,” He said. That’s so Sandy …
• As the sister of the “rich young man” who came to Jesus to find the key to eternal life. Jesus knew the man’s heart, and told him to sell everything he owned and then give the money to the needy. The man walked away sad, because he owned so much. His sister, however, did as Jesus said and one day inherited eternal life. That’s so Sandy …
• As the woman at the well, who served Jesus water, and then discovered the meaning of “living water” – the kind He offered. When she drank of that water, she went to her village and saved the whole village. That’s so Sandy …
• As the woman with the alabaster jar filled with precious oils, who intrudes upon men eating together so that she can anoint her Lord with the oil she has brought. That’s Sandy …
• As the mother-in-law of Peter, who was ailing with a fever upstairs in her room when Jesus came by. He went up to see her alone; ordered the fever to leave her; and then He lifted her and she began to serve Him. That’s so Sandy.

 

 

As you can see by now, Sandy Dolan shows up all through the New Testament. In fact, I’m willing to go so far as to suggest that when 12-year-old Jesus stayed behind in the Temple to be with the scholars and experts in the law, I’m pretty sure it was Sandy in that Temple teaching the Bible to her young student.

 

Indeed, there is enough Sandy in the New Testament to establish a brand-new gospel …. The “missing fifth gospel has now been discovered – The Gospel of Sandy. It contains the daily situations and encounters Sandy had in our village, and how she and God walked through life serving God and serving people. It’s the Good News of Sandy Dolan!

 

The 5 things I learned from Sandy:

 

• Putting “Kids First” can NEVER be wrong!
• Never stop teaching the stories of the Bible.
• Little things done with great love matter a lot!
• Nothing compares to spending time together with someone.
• Only when things are beyond your control should you miss Sunday church.

 

I’m wearing five love bands leftover from VBS this week to remind me of each one of these lessons. If I only make a little progress on 1 or 2 of these, I’ll still be carrying Sandy’s spirit of humility, grace under pressure, peacefulness, meekness and, of course, selflessness. Won’t you join me? I will have a basket of love bands on the front lobby table at church. Pick one up (or five!) for yourself.

                                                                

  Have a blessed week … but treat each day like it’s the only one we have … love recklessly.

Pastor Bob <><