Carrie Foust: Thirty People in 30 Days

Carrie Foust.

"All the way my Savior leads me
Who have I to ask beside
How could I doubt His tender mercy
Who through life has been my guide..." 

My dear friends. I had no intention of writing this post today, no idea this post would ever take the tone it is about to take. Oh yes, this beautiful girl deserves more than a post in some unread blog. She deserves a crown of many jewels in Heaven, a beautiful red carpet, a song just for her... today she received one of those things. A very very large crown from our Heavenly Father.  This weekend Carrie's battle with cancer, Leukemia to be specific, came to a very tragic end. Although not sad in eternity's eyes. And I have no doubt that is exactly how Carrie would see it. My beautiful friend fought a very long and hard fight, but I have no better conclusion to draw other than that God needed another beautiful voice to worship at his throne. 

Let me tell you what Carrie taught me. 

As if fitting all the lessons her beautiful heart taught could fit into a blog post...

Carrie was that smile, the one that even on the worst days made you believe in something greater than yourself. Her mere presence helped you to find the joy in the simplest of things. Whether it was decorating a hall for a Christmas competition, celebrating with pizza parties, attending a basketball game and cheering on the other women who lives on her floor, bible studies, and tye-dye. Cancer... even that Carrie faced with this overwhelming sense of calm and faith that the Lord was in control. 

Carrie taught me what it meant to live out the verses in Jeremiah.  "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The thing that a person really learns from Carrie is not the simplicity of a naive faith believing in these verses... no, Carrie understood what it meant to wander in the desert like the Israelites did for seventy years before Jeremiah ever had the inspiration to write such a verse. You see, she knew real pain, real trial, and real desperation and still she was the first to pray, the first to offer encouragement, and the first to ask how she could help... I have no doubt Carrie allowed God to work more through her short life in twenty years than some people allow him to do in their eighty. Carrie taught me about strength and about all things friendship. She continues to teach me still...

So Carrie, for you, I will be what you saw in the world. I will have hope, I will persevere, and I will never ever lose faith. Your death has brought me to my knees and as I petition God for answers, I know that even if I never get them in this life, I cannot wait until the day when we worship him together again. That day will come, and I look forward to hearing your beautiful voice on the other side. Heaven is blessed today. <3

"When clouds veil sun
And disaster comes
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
When waters rise
And hope takes flight
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Ever faithful
Ever true
You I know
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go..."