She Died of COVID-19

I was starting out as a pastor in 1998 when I met this young lady barely turning 20. She was part of my youth and young adult group in this amazing church I was serving as youth pastor. Her family had come from Ghana and the ladies from the family would always come to church in their beautiful African dresses. I loved the whole family. Her mom was one of my prayer warriors. The young lady was Akua and I was blessed to know her and later see her grow to become a mighty woman of God, who got married, became a nurse, and had two beautiful kids.

I left the church for a few years to work in a different city before she got married, but soon after I returned and she got involved working with kids in our church and was an amazing spirt-filled volunteer for Jesus. Last Friday, Akua died of Covid-19, leaving a gap in a church I once pastored, but leaving a bigger hole in my heart. I loved her greatly. She always put a smile on my face when I was around her. Love came out of her pores. I will never forget her. Her current pastor put it nicely, "She was the best of what our church is about." Why am I sharing this sad news in this post. Because I believe people like Akua need to be honored and remembered because people like her make us a better person.

Akua demonstrated love to everyone. It didn't matter where you came from or what you liked. She was the epitome of what this blog stands for: To experience life through the eyes of love. To see everything and everyone through the filters of love. This is exactly how Akua lived and it was demonstrated to her biological kids and children at her church. She allowed for God to use her and lived out His desires for her life. Her impact of love touched many lives and she will clearly leave a legacy of love in the hearts of all she encountered. I can still hear her voice echo in my mind when she would tell me multiple times throughout the last few years I was with her at the church, "Oh pastor, you so silly, but that's why I love you so much." I can hear it in her unique accent. Her love for me made me a better person.

What impact are you leaving? What legacy are you placing in the hearts of people you come in contact with? If you breathed your last today, could the same thing be said about your life? I hope it can. May the example of Akua encourage you to connect with the heart of Christ so that you may live a life that leaves a legacy of love in the hearts of people you influence every day.