“Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.” (Acts 9:36)
Miss Gaye went to Heaven decades ago, but, like Tabitha in Acts 9, she “was full of good works and almsdeeds” that I’ll never forget.
I first met Miss Gaye when I was a little boy. At the time, she was the live-in caregiver for her elderly aunt. Over the years, Miss Gaye would care for lots of people. When she wasn’t tending to the ailing, she was part of a team of women in our church who made cloth bandages to be sent to distant mission fields.
Later in life, I learned that Miss Gaye was a prayer warrior. Before I became a Christian, she once approached me at church and quietly told me that she was praying for me and hoped that I would soon come to know Christ. Though brief, it was a life-changing encounter. Her voice and expression held such genuine concern that God drew me closer to Himself. I can still picture her furrowed brow. She was an older aduIt, and I was a teenager, but it felt like God speaking directly to me.
In time, the Holy Spirit broke my heart and drew me to Christ. Gospel preaching and encounters with other people–strategically placed in my path–prompted me to repent and believe. Miss Gaye never taught a class, led a Bible study, or counseled others formally. God, however, used her relentless prayer and concern for people to glorify Himself.
Because Miss Gaye never married, I naturally found myself stopping by her house to check on her and do whatever I could to help her. As she aged, these visits also became times of sharing Scripture and prayer. I learned what fellowship is, and I grew convicted that my love for people dwarfed in comparison to hers.
Heaven will allow some kind of reconnecting. Yes, we will be consumed with the Lord Jesus and have countless opportunities for worship. I imagine, however, that we will also reconnect with those whom we’ve known in this life. If so, I long to say to my friend, “Thank you, Miss Gaye."
