My sister and I drove home to Illinois on Monday for Norm's Celebration of Life. We met up with mom and dad and Zach and all went together. It was all Norm. She always told Dennis(her husband) when they were at viewings that she didn't want people waiting in lines and looking at her dead body. So there were no lines....just people walking around and talking, remembering, laughing, crying. There was red wine available, because Norm loved her red wine. There was fun music playing. There were pictures everywhere of the adventurous life that she lived.
After a couple hours of that, they had a service. Norm's son in law, Nate is a pastor and he was the "master of ceremonies". First Dennis talked and went through their life together. They started out as high school sweethearts. He told funny stories and more serious ones. He talked about all the things she had went through in her life. And the thing that stuck out to me was when he said, "Norm never asked God, why me? I did, but not Norm. Norm never got mad at God. I did, but not Norm. She went about her life fighting and not whining and always trusting in God's perfect plan for her life." If you didn't read my last post, throughout Norm's life she had lost a baby and then had uterine cancer and a hysterectomy at a young age and was unable to have more children. Shortly after that she got breast cancer and was told she had six months to live. She beat it. She got hit by a car, but she worked and worked and got better.
After Dennis spoke, their daughter, Rachelle spoke. She is just like her mom. Spunky, full of life, always laughing. They were best friends. Rachelle told funny stories and serious ones also. There were lots of funny stories because Norm was hilarious. A few things really spoke to me from what Rachelle said. She said when someone came to her mom to talk about a problem. Or if someone was worried about something. Norm would say, "my Father will take care of that for you. Just trust in Him." She had such a close relationship with her Heavenly Father. She didn't call Him God. She always called Him, my Father. I really like that. And one of the last things that Rachelle said truly spoke to me and I hope it never stops speaking to me. She said when her and Norm would be talking about something...maybe something going on in someone else's life, Rachelle would say, "but mama that just isn't fair." And Norm would say, "Life isn't fair." And Rachelle said she hated that saying and she always told her mom that. She said I know it's true but I hate it when you say that and I won't ever say that to my boys. And Norm would say, "Honey, life's not fair, BUT God is good." When Rachelle was done speaking at the funeral, she looked at the little pine box(casket) and said, "Mama, you were right. Life's not fair, but God is good." If someone that can go through all she's been through in life and still say, Life's not fair, but God is good, then i want to live my life like her. Compared to Norm I haven't been through too many rough things. I would say infertility has been the roughest. And now I am looking at that in a different way. I don't want to be a mommy any less than I did last week, but God is good and I truly believe that His plans for my life are far greater than any plans I could ever make for myself. Even if it is hard to see that through our human eyes, I truly believe and I am at peace and trusting in God's plans for our future.
Norm you lived a life for God and He ministered to many people through you and He is still ministering through you, through your death. You were an amazing woman and I am sure it was all worth it when you got to meet your Father face and face and hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." You are an inspiration to everyone!
