Eileen’s Relationship to God

While going through the process of divorce, my mental, emotional, and physical well-being hit absolute rock bottom. One night the realization that my life was in a downward spiral hit me hard—so hard that in my fear of the future and dismay of my past I cried out to God to help me. This cry to God, in itself, may not sound surprising; but I had never truly acknowledged him in my life. I had always done exactly what I wanted whenever I wanted, with no thought of our Creator. I don’t know why I cried out to him that night or why it occurred to me to do so. But the moment I did, I knew something had changed within me. A calm washed over me, soothing my tears and allowing me to breathe regularly enough to finally fall asleep. On that evening, I was given a yearning to learn more about God, both who he was and why he was significant. Three weeks later I attended Easter service with a Christian friend. This was my first time in a church service in close to fifteen years. Over the course of the next six months, I became absorbed with  learning and trained myself to be someone who lived for Jesus. My lifelong habits were changing, as was my outlook on life. There was no specific date I can point to to say, “This is when I became a Christian.” It was a growing process over the course of several months, a process which produced a woman who is thankful for her rescue from her sins, and for the promise of a future with Jesus.

That was 26 years ago. Since then, Eileen married Mike, bore Rachel, and helped with various ministries and church plants. She played guitar in churches that needed help with the music. She organized events, taught women’s bible studies, assisted in the counseling ministry, and cooked and delivered meals. She made our home a center of hospitality, and dedicated of her time to needs both within and outside the church.

Eileen’s most prominent attribute was that she loved Jesus with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. This was clearly displayed by her consistent joy and infectious cheerfulness. She loved God, and she loved those he put in her path.