Joey has become known throughout the world. There are so many things that I loved about this woman. I loved how much she loved her husband. I loved how much she loved her baby, even when she found out she had Down Syndrome. Her expressions of joy and gratitude didn't change at all when she learned of this. I loved how she loved Jesus and sang about him boldly. She loved the simple things of life. She loved gardening and singing. She loved making home-cooked food for her family. She loved people. She is an inspiration to so many.
Yesterday, her husband wrote a post about a celebration of her life that was given in her home town. Make sure to watch this video where her father shared that he was saved by believing in Jesus a few months before Joey died; then her mother sang while her father played the guitar.
Joey had a lot of loss in her life. She lost her teenage brother in a car accident and her parents got divorced. Those two tragedies in anybody's life is enough to draw them away from the Lord, but instead it drew her closer. It was the loss of her brother that caused her parent's divorce and it was in Joey's dying days that her father believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. God used Joey's life for so much good and she glorified Him by her life.
Her life is an example to all of you who have parents who have divorced or who have suffered great loss in your life. Joey didn't allow these things to destroy her life but to see all the beauty there was in life; the greatest being her Creator and His beauty. Watching her this past year, I would have never thought these tragedies were in her past since she seemed so cheerful, warm, and friendly. However, her trials and suffering worked good in her life since she clung to her Savior.
This is how God uses trials and sufferings in a believer's life; He uses them for good to refine us and make us more like Him. Those people that God has used most have usually gone through the fiery furnace of sufferings. Sufferings cause us to hold loosely to the things of this world and tightly onto those things that are unseen.
If you have suffered grief or are in a painful trial, use this time to allow the Lord to take those hard edges off of you and use you for His glory like He used Joey. Suffering isn't evil as many assume. No, suffering is for our good. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us {Romans 8:18}.
Joey is enjoying a much better place now. There is no more suffering, pain, conflict, wars, hate, etc. There is beauty, peace, joy and all things good that our Lord has created for all those who believe upon Him. Choose you this day whom ye will serve but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
Take the time and be blessed by this beautiful tribute to Joey by her husband and her love for him. He speaks about the power of love in another's life. Use God's love of you to deeply love your husband and others. His love alone changes others.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
Revelation 21:4
***This will always be my all-time favorite video of hers!
Born to Be Your Woman is great, too.
***This will always be my all-time favorite video of hers!
Born to Be Your Woman is great, too.
