July 2009 From Chris' Heart by Chris Harris The last few weeks have been some of the hardest days of my life. Most of you know that my precious mother, Ellen Webb, joined her wonderful husband and her long missed twin sister on Sunday, June 21st. Momma never stopped trying. She fought a fight that most would have given up on much more quickly. She told my daughter, Amy, and I the Sunday before she died, that she did not want to hurt our feelings, but she sure was getting tired. We so understood, and I thought I would die listening to her and knowing how hard it was for her to say those words. She was not a quitter! We just assured her of how special she was in her perseverance and how proud we were in how far she had come. Amy told her as long as she was here on this earth; she had us to cheerlead her on. I thought very long and very hard about what I could say in this article that would bring honor to momma. She was so special! As I received cards and calls and memorial gifts in her name, it became clear that Momma’s life made a difference in this world. She truly glorified God with the many gifts God had blessed her with. I heard stories of how she delivered warm lemon pies to people’s doors, made visits to hospitals, and organized meals at the last minute when a loved one passed, and these things were all done when she was so sick and in so much pain she could hardly stand. In the last minutes of her life, she was surrounded by family and friends who literally prayed her into heaven. She was struggling so hard to breathe. Knowing her lungs would never be well enough to continue life as she knew it, and being assured by me that Dale, my brother, and I would be ok, she chose to lay it down. She loved our Lord, and she knew where she was going and who was waiting for her. What a precious hope we have. I thank God every minute of every day for that hope, don’t you? The Bible is very clear when it speaks of a person reaping what they sow. Momma sowed a garden of love and service and she was blessed both here on earth and now in heaven by love returned. I will miss momma more than I can ever put into words. Many of you know the pain. I know our God is faithful…but Chris’ heart will never be the same.