See You Later!

Today I went to the memorial service of my long time Bible study teacher, Patricia Cranford Cameron. I went to her Bible study for fifteen years. I served with her as a small group leader for eight years. She died from Leukemia. It was completely unexpected.

When I first attended her Bible study, I was invited by a friend. The friend kept bugging and bugging me to go. I finally gave in, just to get her to quit asking. I didn’t think I had time for a Bible study. I had two small children and I knew I was going to homeschool them.

So I went to the Bible study, not expecting much. We sang a few praise songs, then it was time for the Bible study teacher to come out and do a lecture. She walked out onto the stage. I took one look at her with her big hair, and her very sophisticated clothing, with her nails long and polished and wondered what in the world she could ever teach me about the Bible. I sat in the audience with my chewed down nails, flat hair and about the only decent outfit from my closet that wasn’t torn up, ripped or stained. I actually had a secret pride in my appearance, kind of a John the Baptist, martyr kind of vibe. You know, the sackcloth and ashes kind of look. I figured I was holier than everyone else because my clothes really were holier than everyone else’s.

Patricia Cranford Cameron began to speak. She told a quick joke and I caught myself laughing. She began to speak about the passage they were studying at the time. She caught my attention. She didn’t speak with authority like you must do this or else! She didn’t have some watered down new age mumble jumble. She actually taught from the Bible and nothing but the Bible. She talked of Jesus and having a relationship with Him. Soon I didn’t notice the big hair and nails. Soon I was mesmerized by her Bible lecture. It was concise. There was no Jesus and… It was straight up, pure Bible. I was hooked.

I started going to the Bible study that fall, taking my one year old and three year old. They had Bible study classes for the kids as well. Again, straight up Bible study. This was something I could truly get behind.

I sat under Patricia for fifteen years and she never wavered from her commitment to the Bible. It was never watered down. She knew the Lord. It was clear. One time she asked me to share my testimony before the whole class. I was terrified. I sat in the front row that day praying desperately for God to help me do this. Just before it started I asked her how she did this every week. She told me it was love, plain and simple.

Patricia has gone to be with the Lord. The same Lord she talked about over and over in our Bible study. She is seeing the heaven, she talked about. She has met, face to face, the God she shared with whoever would listen. She is experiencing all of it that we believers look forward to. I will miss her. But the beauty of a believer’s death is that I will see her again. What a glorious thing! Goodbye Patricia. I will see you later.