A story of friendship - Before Terry Went Home To Jesus...

A story of friendship – Before Terry Went Home To Jesus…

The world lost a special woman yesterday. Terry Herman went home to be with Jesus, who she loved with all her heart.

Before she left, she changed the world for the better. She changed me.

I was young, 19, when I got a job working with Terry. She was my mom’s age, and one of my first “adult” friends.

Terry loved me, immediately, unconditionally.

She saw a happy young woman, who had her guard up; she determined to break the wall down brick by brick. She was patient, but persistent.

She insisted I learn to hug her, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. What was uncomfortable for me at first? Hugging a friend? It’s now something I am known for. Hugging people sincerely.

Terry taught me that.

When my troubles brought me to rock bottom, she saw the brokenness and was not afraid of it. She grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let go. She was loyal in her devotion to me. Friends give of themselves generously.

Terry taught me that.

When my relationship with my boyfriend interfered with work, she covered for me. Once as tears rendered me speechless at my front desk position with a patient, she gently excused us, took me to a back room, and went to cover for me.

Then came back to hear, again, of my young love angst. That boy and I are married today. And we’ll stay that way.

Terry taught me that too. That relationships are precious.

She taught me to laugh at myself, often, and together we laughed most days for five years in that small office. We had a wonderful friendship. I didn’t see her as a “mom” figure and she didn’t see me as “a kid”.

I grew into a young woman, right in front of her.

I lived with my boyfriend for years before getting married. She told me about the love of her life, who she married at a young age. Bruce. And, he was wonderful. Bruce loved me too. I loved him. I loved them, together.

I partied on the weekends, sometimes the weekdays. She let me know that she didn’t agree with those choices, boy, she always was honest. But you know what? Terry taught me something else.

About her friend Jesus. And she loved me no matter who I lived with, or what we did.

Terry wasn’t perfect and neither was I.

She taught me that you can love people and treat them with respect, even if their lives are foreign to you. That made me interested in her God. Her son Shane was my age, and became the friend who took me to church.

The night I accepted Jesus into my heart.

She rejoiced at my wedding to that boyfriend. She cried when we moved away. She delighted when I had babies and would come visit her. We kept in touch with Christmas cards and such.

Terry went home to Jesus

I haven’t lived in California for a long time, but most of the visits I was able to go visit Terry. Down the crazy, turn-y, country road in the foothills. The roads we used to laugh on when we’d race to her house during a lunch break.

Then Terry got sick one year. Really sick. The last two times I wasn’t able to visit her, and I felt bad. The irony is that my recent visit home? I couldn’t wait to take my little niece over and show her off.

Terry LOVED children. But me and the girl got sick and I didn’t want to bring that over to her. So I didn’t go. She understood, she said.

Always, always, she just told me to was happy that I ever remembered to come see her when I visited.

As if I wouldn’t.

I’ll be praying for Terry’s family. For Bruce and Shane and the rest of the family. Praying and thanking God that Terry taught me through love about Jesus, before she tried to teach me through words.

Jesus and Terry are together tonight. Her body free from suffering. If you knew Terry? You would hear a high-pitched squeal of delight and maybe a hand clap. Then, she would hug him tight.

Where she learned it in the first place.

Amen.