A letter to a friend who has gone to be with Jesus.
Dear, darling Erica,
Oh my sweet friend and beloved sister in Christ. I am grieved beyond comprehension at hearing of your early departure to be with our Savior, Jesus, who you love so much, yet I rejoice in your homecoming because I know there's nowhere else you'd rather be. You were such a forgiving and kind, tenderhearted friend to me. Truly, you loved everyone with the love of Christ, your heart so pure, genuine and full of compassion. I am tremendously blessed to know you, dear friend. So thankful for all our talks we had heart to heart. All the times we spent together talking about Jesus and what it means to live a life truly surrendered to him. Your earnest desire to honor, love and serve Jesus was the deep cry of your heart and it propelled you forward in all you did. You always wanted to share God's love with everyone and I know how often you have gone to the Lord interceding for your friends, classmates and coworkers, praying that they would come to know Jesus. You also shared God’s love and the power of the gospel with the nations, in Haiti, Nicaragua and more recently and closest to your heart, in Mongolia. Your faithfulness and selflessness both challenge and encourage me to press on and continue running this race with endurance. You have joined the great cloud of witnesses! How awesome is that?
Sweet Erica, I am going to miss you always. I can just see your smiling face and feel your hugs; hear your voice, as though you were still here. I can't believe you're gone. I love you so much. I look forward to giving you the biggest hug ever and I look forward to thanking you for being the generous, selfless, wonderful friend that you have been to me. I can't wait to sing praises with you again, and play guitar together, except this time in the radiant light of our God, instead of sitting in a warm patch of sunshine on our living room floor. Your life is a treasure, and mine is boundlessly blessed to have not only crossed paths with yours, but to also have been intermingled with yours. I am forever grateful to my loving Father God for bringing you into my life. A ray of bright, pure light, a dazzling beauty of a woman, the fragrant aroma of Jesus. Your testimony will forever inspire me, Erica; your life, light, and love I will always remember with great gladness! I have only loved you imperfectly, but I know one day I will be able to love you purely and without fault, and I shall know you far more deeply and richly than I already do. Oh happy, happy, glorious day!
So in the meantime dear friend which I pray passes in the blink of an eye, enjoy all the amazing celebrations at your homecoming! I hope we're housemates again in the place our Father is preparing for us. Maybe you're already there checking it out. I'm sure there's an open pasture beyond where beautiful horses come to graze, and even some funny, stubborn goats, hehe. See you later, precious friend. I can't wait!
Love always, your sister in Christ,
Heather
Erica with one of her favorite study buddies, Keebler, in the house we shared with our other dear friend, Britt, on Magnolia Lane in Blacksburg, Virginia.
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” Proverbs 4:18
Erica’s obituary can be found here.
