Betsy Huizing's Memorial Service

Dear Family and Friends of Betsy. Betsy was ready to go to heaven, ready to see Jesus in person, but she wanted to stay here a bit longer yet. She really wanted to walk alongside you Tina until she knew you’d be okay. She really wanted to continue playing Mexican Train with her friends. She wanted to continue spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

But her acute leukaemia prevented her from seeing these things through. And being the no-nonsense, straight up person she was, she accepted it, but she didn’t like it.

She’d probably be the first person to tell you she wasn’t perfect. Her family would be the second ones to tell you that too. But she was okay with that. She was okay with herself. She had no illusions.

She loved her family. She didn’t agree with everything they did. And she let you know, didn’t she? I got that too. She loved her friends, and she didn’t didn’t agree with everything they did or said either.

Betsy was confident in herself, in who she was and what she knew. It made sense. But she was even more confident in the Lord. It all made perfect sense to her.

Consider the words we heard from . “Although [the Lord] was angry with me, your anger has turned away.” God was righteously angry. He created us to bear his image, to reflect his perfect character of love, grace, justice and righteousness. But all humanity has sinned and done the opposite of God’s character, we have wars, murder, lying, stealing, etc. Therefore God is justified to be angry with us. As angry as any parent is with a rebellious child.

But God, as loving as any parent is with a rebellious child, in his grace, turned away his anger. Indeed, God chose to put his anger on his very own son. His own son who never rebelled, never sinned, who willingly stood in our place. He is our salvation.

Betsy understood this. It’s a simple transaction. She was realistic, saw that she wasn’t perfect, she was a sinner in need of a saviour. Jesus came and offered himself in her place, and she accepted it. Why wouldn’t she? It’s obvious.

And so, with that realism there was great hope. In addition to receiving forgiveness, she received Jesus’ promise of everlasting life. She knew that one day, she’d go to be with Jesus. And that day came just over a week ago, on a Sunday morning. It’s almost as though she waited, she held on, so she could be raised up to heaven on the same day of the week Jesus was raised from the dead.

But there was something even more worth looking forward to. You see, in the time between times, she is now spiritually with Jesus, but one day, one day, Jesus will return. And he will raise up our earthly bodies, they will be transformed, reanimated.

It will come with the new heaven and the new earth. The dwelling of all people will be together in one place. And in the centre is God himself. He will live with them. They will be his people, he will be their God.

No longer will he be a transcendent God, a far away God. He will be close, closer even than when Jesus came. God himself will care for his people. God himself will wipe every tear away from our eyes.

You can picture that, can’t you. A big burly father, lifting a crying child upon his lap, gently wiping his thumb under each eye. Hugging her and embracing her, assuring her that everything is going to be okay, and it is, for ever and for ever.

That’s the promised future for you and for me, for all who trust in Jesus. Jesus promises, “I am making everything new! It is done. I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.”

This here is good water. Lethbridge has good water. When you’re thirsty, there’s nothing quite like a glass of water. I still vividly remember a gentleman I met when I did my summer assignment in Edson. Later that year, while I was doing my year-long internship in Bowmanville, ON, I learned that he’d been diagnosed with cancer and didn’t a long time to live. I talked to him on the phone a couple of weeks before he died. Already for a while he hadn’t been able to drink any water. He was extremely thirsty.

“Paul,” he said, “I can’t wait to get to heaven. The first thing I’m going to ask Jesus is for a large glass of water!” That’s exactly what Jesus is offering! Only, unlike this water, once you drink from the water of life, you never get thirsty again.

That’s the hope, the trust that Betsy had. That’s the hope, the trust we all may have. Do you have it? Maybe you did once, but now you’re not so sure. That’s not unusual. Even King David experienced that, read . Once God’s got you, you can’t get away.

So here’s what to do. Take up the words Eden read for us. Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything, doubts, fears, cares, concerns, sorrows, loss, whatever, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. That’s what Betsy did. It showed up in her. I see it in you, her family, her friends. How deeply she connected with those around her.

And God will give you his peace, true pace and he will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.