"Say Goodnight Gracie"

The old line from George Burns' comedy show--"Say goodnight Gracie!" It comes in handy when we have to say "Goodnight" for now to someone as wonderful as Gracie Sanchez. We can do it with the sense of humor she so readily displayed and with the light-hearted fun she brought to life.

I looked up the Webster's Dictionary definition of "grace". There are a number of definitions, of course, because the word encompasses a lot of meaning. But here is just a bit:

"the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful--Synonyms see mercy"

That certainly defines the Gracie I knew and loved these last seven years that she attended College Church of Christ and became "mi hermana en Jesus Christo"--my sister in Jesus Christ!

I first got acquainted with Gracie on a missions trip to Mexico. She was our translator as we taught Children's Bible School and worked at the local church. It is Gracie's smile that I can't get out of my head. It was a smile that understood the situation, overlooked the difficulties, saw the potential for good and brought everyone else along for the exciting ride of faith! Gracie's smile wasn't just happy, although it was that. It was faith-filled and hope-spreading.

I only knew Gracie after her eyesight was severely limited. She was legally blind. But she didn't express her visual impairment as a liability so much as simply a fact, something to be reckoned with like today's weather. She was here, in the moment, ready to work, ready to love, and always ready to teach! Gracie was a very, very intelligent woman. I knew this from listening to her explain things to me, like the Spanish language, God's mysterious ways, heaven, her love for God's people. She had a way of making complex issues seem simple to understand.

I'm a bit of a nerd, myself, I am happiest when I am learning something new. My car radio is most often tuned to sermons on Christian radio or news on National Public Radio. So, to find a friend like Gracie, who was willing to teach me new things, was a tremendous find! I am forever grateful for the time I spent with Gracie and it is with a sense of love, friendship and fun, like two girlfriends at a pajama party, that I say, "Goodnight Gracie, I'll see you in the morning of heaven's glorious sunrise! And we'll keep right on learning things together throughout eternity!"

--Posted by Mama O.