One of the favorite songs my young grandchildren love to sing as they nestle under the covers for a sleepover at grandma’s house is “This Little Light of Mine.”

“This little light of mine. I’m going to let it shine, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”

Though the lyrics are simple, and yes, repetitive, they communicate an important truth: the light of Christ should shine brightly in our lives.

(Tracie with her grandchildren)

Last month my older sister, after a 15-year battle with Alzheimer’s, was carried into the arms of Jesus. I’m sure she has a special place in heaven because she always let her light shine─a light of Christ that touched the hearts of so many people, not just in her own family, but also in the lives of her friends, her students, her colleagues.

Because Tracie was ten years older than me, when I was young, her “grown-up” world seem so magical to me. She went on dates, to dances, and cruised down Woodward. I rode my bike and played jacks on the porch. When she started college, her classes sounded so intriguing─Intro. to Psychology, World Literature, Kinesiology. My classes were reading, writing, and arithmetic.

As I reflected on those growing up years with Tracie as my big sister, I realized just how tolerant and patient she was. She didn’t mind that I along with my brother and younger sister intruded into her world of friends and activities. Even when we would try to catch her stealing a kiss from her high school boyfriend, so we could announce it to the world, she didn’t seem to mind. Instead of getting angry, she would just laugh.

As we grew older, the decade of years between us began to shrink, and our bond of love and friendship only grew closer and stronger. And so when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I along with the rest of my family and our friends, we were devasted. Tracie was devastated. But she faced one of the most challenging adversities that life can throw at you with unwavering faith and grace. Yes, there were tears, there were questions, but never anger, never with the belief that God had turned His back on her and so she would do the same.

You see, Tracie understood that we live in a broken world and our bodies are frail, so her strength to face this disease was rooted in her faith and trust in the goodness of God. Time and time again He had proven His faithfulness to her, so when this diagnosis came in, her first response was to turn to her Jesus. She cried out to Him, and just as the Bible promises that the Lord draws near to the broken-hearted, He drew near to Tracie. And in a time of prayer, the Lord gave her a vision. She saw Jesus with His comforting arms around her, promising that He would be with her. A vision that confirmed a word that her good friend, Shirley, had given to her about two months before the Alzheimer’s diagnosis was determined. The word God gave Shirley for Tracie was that the Lord would give Tracie a blanket of peace. And God did. He kept His comforting arms around her and blanketed her with His peace.

So often when we are going through difficulty times, we want a way out, when God’s answer is that He will help us find a way through. And that it what He did for Tracie. As her daughter, Christen, my sister Patti, and I sat with Tracie during her final hours, we watched in amazement as caregiver after caregiver came in to see Tracie and tell us how her life had powerfully touched theirs. They told us how there was something so special about her, how they loved her, how they were drawn to her.

One caregiver came in on her day off because she didn’t want to miss saying goodbye. The Care Coordinator asked Christen if she could keep the picture of Tracie that hung in the common area so she could keep it in her office. That is how special Tracie was to her! Now understand, Tracie couldn’t express herself with words; she couldn’t hold a conversation. Speech was one of the first things Alzheimer’s took from Tracie.

She couldn’t tell them with her words about her Jesus. But His Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord, was so evident in her that she didn’t have to say a word. In this most difficult place, in this most difficult season of her life, my sister still let her light shine.

When Tracie breathed her last breath her on earth and breathed her first breath in heaven, Jesus was there once again with his loving arms around her, saying “Well done, enter joy of the Lord.”  For you see, God’s plan for Tracie’s life didn’t end here on earth. His good and joyful plan for Tracie extends into eternity.

So, as you read this tribute to my amazing big sister, I hope that no matter what you are going through, you will be inspired to trust in the goodness of God and let your light shine!