Sunday in the Park!

On Sunday afternoon, friends and family of Tiffany Pate gathered at Stowe Park to commemorate the one year anniversary of her "home-going". 

The day could not have been more gloriously beautiful, and the event could not have been more meaningful to those of us who participated.  Tiffany's life left an indelible imprint on those she left behind, and to say she's greatly missed seems a gross understatement.  Yet in spite of the hole in my heart, I am more confident than ever that God's plan is continuing to unfold in a way that only He could orchestrate.

For those who wanted to be with us and were unable, here's what you missed:

At 1:15, I welcomed everyone and simply read an excerpt from one of Tiffany's last emails.  Here are her words:

...Now, what I really want to get across with this e-mail is how much I love all of you and appreciate you from the very bottom of my heart! My mindset is amazing and I am filled with the joy of my LORD every single day! I love Him, and my FAITH in Him will NEVER waver! I am more at peace with this diagnosis than I have ever been. I am totally okay with the best case scenario or the worst case scenario because the worst case scenario is of this world...not of my GOD!!! I win either way! It's really an amazing feeling to know the peace that I am experiencing! If the doctor looked at me tomorrow and said, "okay, girl...we are going to hook you up to these pain meds, make this as easy and quick as possible, and help you all get through this"...my response would be...."let's go"

My only reason(s) for staying here one more day is to Glorify my God in any way we can! I trust Him to take care of my boys and my husband! I trust Him to take care of my family! We are going to get through this! The big deal is to not finish this race without fulfilling God's purpose for it! So, please, never feel that God has let me down or is "not delivering". My eyes and heart are not focused on the immediate track we are running. My eyes are focused on the puzzle that I cannot see until the last piece is in. Whatever small part I can play in placing that one piece in the right place is all I have to worry about! I want your prayer to be that that will remain our focus and that we won't "miss" anything God has intended for us along the way!

I want to be an open vessel for my God, and the rest will take care of itself. If you have one moment to share His glory, grab it with full force and never take it for granted!

I am probably at my limit now....but, I will be in touch soon!

I love you all and will never know how to thank you for being all that you are in my life!

In Him,

Tiffany

Immediately after sharing this profound message, Nichole (my precious daughter-in-law) sang Nichole Nordeman's "Legacy" as friends and family released their balloons to heaven.

Tiffany's Aunt Trish made a video that captured the beauty of our celebration.  As you watch, reflect--and think about the legacy you'll leave when God calls you home.



Tiffany Pate's faith and bravery still inspires me each day, prompting me to pray for God's help to live my life focused on eternal rather than temporal things. I hope you're encouraged as you read about her journey to "go and do likewise". 

Tikvah!