Cindy My Friend (by Kim Sinclair)

This eulogy by Kim Sinclair is the fourth of seven messages offered at Cindy's funeral on April 12.  Like Karen Morrison, Kim is a close girlfriend of Cindy's as she will recall in this beautiful message she offered.

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Good afternoon:

My name is Kim and our beloved Cindy and I have been close friends for such a long time, it’s hard to remember life before her. 

Just saying her name brings a smile to my face.  And I am sure it does to yours also!  It is my honor to share some thoughts about my dearest friend.

Cindy – a beloved and endearing wife – a tender but firm mother – a dependable and generous daughter and sister -- and a gifted and wonderful friend to me and to so many of you.

Cindy’s heart for others was so amazing.  The camping vacations she and Glenn shared were always a highlight in her life.  There is something about those quiet moments around a campfire - with the one you love - that makes everything seem perfect and still. 

And no one loved their children more than Cindy.  Adam, Laura, and Michael, she beamed when she talked about you and shared what was happening in your lives with us often. 

She loved spending an afternoon with her mother and sister in a beautiful park to walk among some of God’s most magnificent creation.  Cindy truly loved being outdoors and thoroughly enjoyed all the beauty that surrounded her.  From family reunions to the annual “ravioli making parties,” she loved the Trevisan family with her whole heart.

Cindy’s love for her students and the team at school was genuine.  She loved knowing that she was making a difference in the lives of these children and looked forward to every opportunity to help them grow and learn.  

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Many years ago, a wise woman shared the idea of praying the “attributes of God” back to Him by using the alphabet.  This simple prayer of speaking the characteristics of God is a beautiful act of worship to our Lord and really allows you to focus on Him and not your circumstances.

As we come together today to thank God for Cindy’s life, it seems appropriate to think of Cindy’s many wonderful attributes.  But rather than going through the entire alphabet – I have considered those attributes which are tied to her beautiful name - Cindy. 

C          Courageous… Compassionate… Confident… Caring

I           Insightful… Innovative

N         Nurturing… Never-ending Devotion… and just plain NICE

D         Devoted… Delightful

Y          Young at Heart

Although not part of her name, my FAVORITE LETTER for Cindy is:  “F”

Cindy was FAITHFUL:   Every morning, she started her day with reading God’s Word, a devotion, and prayer.  Cindy was a prayer warrior – the one to go to when you wanted someone to walk with you through a difficult season.  Her faith in God was simple and real.  She had the ability to comprehend Scripture and apply it in the most practical way.  All who knew her had no question about where her strength came from – it was from God – and God alone.  She truly loved the women’s Bible study group and their couple’s small group at Grace Chapel.  She was committed to learning and to serving. 

Cindy resonated FUN:  For at least 15 years, I served with Cindy on the Women in Ministry team.  She brought joy to our meetings and was always our “go to” person to plan the Ice Breaker Games for our retreats.   For those of you who don’t already know, Cindy was one of the lead players on our retreat Hay Rides.  You may be thinking this is a quiet and gentle ride through the woods at Youth Haven.  NOT TRUE!  We would often need to stop at the barn to pick up more hay so there would be enough to throw from Deb Yanke’s front wagon to Cindy’s rear wagon – and to throw it back.  I believe we still hold the record at the camp for the wildest of hay rides.  In fairness, they were not the ONLY participants, but they definitely led the charge!

Cindy was FEARLESS:  She loved to clean the leaves off of the house by climbing on the roof.  Way too dangerous for me.  She always loved a challenge and thrived on her accomplishments.

BUT TODAY AS WE REMEMBER HER, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I WILL MISS:

I will miss… our lunches and shopping trips for incredible bargains – she was excellent at seeking out wonderful things at incredibly inexpensive prices!  Not to mention our numerous trips to Lansing to attend the Pottery show each spring and fall. 

I will miss… our impromptu gatherings with our guys to “just hang out” and spend great time together!

I will miss… her sweet smile and laughter and the sparkle in her eyes that lit up the whole room!

I will miss… watching Cindy on the stage at Grace Chapel as she and Heather and the rest of the team led us in worship that took you directly to the throne room of our Father!  I am grateful that she chose to use her beautiful singing voice to glorify God.  I will miss her “winks” to say good morning as she would begin to sing!

I will miss… not having Cindy as my “go to” friend to share whatever was burdening my heart.  She was a great listener and offered sound, Biblical counsel.  Cindy was never afraid to speak her mind, but always did it with such grace and respect. 

A scripture verse that has always been endearing to Cindy and to me is:

ISAIAH 41:10 -- So do not fear for I am with you.  Do not be dismayed for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will uphold you with my righteous hand. 

What a joy it is to know without a shadow of a doubt that we are not walking this path alone, and do not need to fear or become discouraged.  If we place our faith and trust in Him, God is there to strengthen us and hold us up when we cannot do it for ourselves. 

I am so grateful for the years we shared as friends and sisters in the Lord.  I thank God that He brought us together to serve Him and to walk this path.  My life is so much richer for having known this beautiful woman. 

She truly is an example of what it means to walk with Christ and to live for Him – every day…  every moment.

We all miss her terribly and always will.  But there is such comfort in knowing that Cindy is sitting with Jesus and beautifully singing praises to His Name, as we are here reflecting on her amazing life and what she meant to each of us.

And who knows -- maybe she is looking around for a bale of hay to have some fun on a heavenly hay ride!

Well done good and faithful servant!  Welcome to your reward!

May God bless you and bring you His peace and comfort!