Your Perfect Love is Casting Out Fear...

The Hastings family lost a dear, dear member this week. My cousin Marena died in her sleep Wednesday night. She was 39 years old and left behind a husband, a 9 year old daughter, a 6 year old daughter and a 3 year old son. She died from a genetic heart condition that surfaced in the Hastings family line a few years ago called Long QT syndrome. People with this condition have hearts that take too long to recharge after each beat and therefore run the risk of not recharging at all, a stopped heart. This can be triggered by several different things including sleep, which seems to be the trigger running through the Hastings hearts. Marena was the oldest cousin on my dad's side of the family and was a wonderfully godly woman. I have only been around her for a week every three or four years throughout my life, but I have always loved her dearly. She was funny and wise and an awesome mom.

It took me by complete surprise Thursday morning as I drove to work and I lost it. I have experienced a very wide range of emotions this weekend and I know that its not over yet. I have found great hope in the words of the psalms and in being with people who understand what it is like to lose someone they love. Please pray for our family. Marena was the last of three daughters to my aunt Kathy and uncle Darell who lost the other two when they were much younger to what we now believe was this same condition. My sister Laura and most likely Kim as well will soon be getting ICD's (pacemakers) to help prevent what happened to Marena from happening to them. Another aunt also has one and the rest of our family is continuing testing to determine if anyone else will need the same thing done.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Your perfect love is casting out fear. And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life, I won't turn back, I know You are near.

And I will fear no evil, for my God is with me. And if my God is with me, whom then shall I fear? Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go, through the calm and through the storm. Oh no, You never let go, in every high and every low. Oh no, You never let go, Lord You never let go of me."

I'm honestly a little jealous because Marena has been with Jesus since Thursday morning. She gets to sing praises to Him while looking at His beautiful face. One day, I'll be there with you Meena...