I sat on the seashore, the sun warming my skin as the melodious rhythms of the never-ending waves serenaded to my soul. As I processed the information that had just bombarded my senses, my being was overwhelmed with loss. As a result, my overloaded emotions did what God built them to do in moments just as these…they generated tears. And as the tears flowed freely from my eyes, they fell harmlessly onto the sand below. Tears upon the sand. Pure emotion that left imperceptible spots of moisture upon a perpetually dry surface. And so is this life.
The very base of Maslow’s hierarchy tells us that as humans we first desire food, water, and shelter above all else. But I would audaciously challenge Mr. Maslow and say that humans also seek out love at the base level. And through that love we seek acceptance, warmth, and the eventual happiness that is generated through the first two. And as my tears saturated the sand, I realized it was the future opportunities of missed happiness that were drawing my tears into existence. You see, Lucinda was that kind of person. One that radiated joy, one that radiated love, one that simply made you happy.
Margie and I first met Lucinda on the mission field of Guadalajara, Mexico in 2022. We were hosting a missions team from Southern Florida and The Baptist Press had sent their best bi-lingual writer to document the trip. How is it that some people just radiate one big smile? How is it that some people seem to be just that good of a conduit of God’s love and joy? How is it that God’s love can so easily escape the pores of some and enter those of others? That was Lucinda, she held that power. That morning we met her in the bustling city center of Guadalajara for a big ministry event and soon learned that after a severely delayed flight, the airline had lost her luggage. Just those two factors would be enough to send me over the edge of the big cliff of bitterness, but here stood Lucinda in front of us, wearing the same clothes as yesterday, offering a wide genuine smile that belied not her current circumstances, but instead looked as if she had just inherited a truck load of cookies. What a light.
Some people are just easy to love. Throughout that week Margie and I grew to love Lucinda, who she was, her passion for Jesus, how she battled this life, and how she desperately clung to Christ regardless of her circumstances. You see, Lucinda had been battling breast cancer for many years. The peaks and valleys of that journey were carried in the deepness of her eyes yet was never openly evident unless you knew her story. Part of the beauty of Lucinda was how she carried her struggle. It was as if she was hourly in the act of laying it at the feet of Jesus and counting it as joy. The lesson she walked I so greatly need.
What a surprise and joy it was when the Lord had our paths cross again in the Spring of this year. Lucinda was a Spanish high school teacher at Baptist Prep Christian Academy in Arkansas and as a result she cherished the opportunity to take her students on mission once per year. And rightfully so, as Lucinda was born on the mission field of Mexico to missionary parents, the importance of missions somehow becoming a part of her DNA. Lucinda had a heart for Peru and year after year she lovingly prepared her students to share the love of Jesus with the peoples of Peru. But this year, 2023, saw Peru experiencing great unrest in the region they normally ministered to. And through a strange yet Godly turn of events, we saw Lucinda bringing her student team to where else but Guadalajara this past March, to proclaim the name of Jesus in the very city in which she was born. Her team of students came prepared and equipped to share the truth of Jesus in Spanish and God blessed their efforts richly. I will never forget standing in a Mexican rehab facility, watching grown addicts cry as they watched the students present a dramatic interpretation of the never-ending desire of Christ to save the souls of sinners. Because of this group and Lucinda’s loving preparation and investment in them, there are souls that will see Jesus in eternity. What a joy it was to minister with our sister one last time. There is little sweeter than being on mission with those you love.
A few weeks after that mission trip we learned that Lucinda’s cancer had returned and this time it would not be denied its goal. Lucinda went to be with Jesus earlier this week, her last breath on this planet followed by her first at the feet of Jesus. I can only imagine her gazing up into the eyes of Jesus as He uttered, well done good and faithful servant.
Some people just make you happy. And it is that very feeling that we as humans covet and will greatly miss of those that pass on before us. Lucinda was that kind of person. And as a result, I selfishly sit here with tears falling upon the sand. I hope that there is sand in heaven as I will cherish the day, that not tears of grief, but tears of happiness will flow into that sand, as I once again see my dear sister.
Enjoy heaven Lucinda, you are finally home.
Please pray for Lucinda’s family, friends, and students as they grieve the loss of her smile.
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