Are You Heaven Bound?
Many wonder if heaven is a real place.
According to God’s Word, heaven is a place of
indescribable beauty and glory, and Jesus is
there, right now, preparing a place for those who
belong to Him (John 14:2). Thank goodness this
world is not our home!
Heaven welcomed a beautiful mother and
daughter a year ago on November 21, 2016,
after a deadly automobile accident. They are
both now in the presence of the One they loved
dearly, Jesus Christ. My heart and the hearts
of family and friends still ache from the
unexpected heavenly homegoing of Donna and
Kaelyn Crews.
Nonetheless, we rejoice. Because of the
finished work of the cross, we who have trusted
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will see our
loved ones again. Because of Jesus, we will live
forever in absolute freedom from the effects of
this broken world. Meanwhile, we will continue
to focus on heaven, keep our eyes on our Lord,
and receive the comfort Jesus promised us in
Matthew 5:4: “God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.”
Donna Crews was a vibrant, joy-filled, Jesusloving,
live-life-to-the-fullest kind of woman who,
in her short 41 years, touched many hearts. No
one could escape her contagious love and her
sincere, deep devotion to Jesus. Her ten-year-old
daughter, Kaelyn, was following in her footsteps,
so sweet and loving.
Donna played the piano at our church and
sang with our praise team and choir. She and
Jaime, her best friend, sat behind me at choir
practice. It was always a time of fun and laughter.
I miss seeing Kaelyn come into the room during
choir to give Yaya (her grandmother) a big hug,
as well as her mama and Jaime. These are such
sweet memories.
Another precious memory was preparing for
our church’s annual “DesignHer” event. Donna
and I served on the planning committee together
for this special event, held last October, for 130
middle and high school girls.
As one of the event speakers, Donna was
passionate that these girls would come to know
the love of God and their worth in Him, as well
as the eternal security God has provided through
His Son, Jesus. She worked hard to make sure
the girls understood that receiving God’s gift of
salvation is only a result of their making a personal
choice to say yes to Jesus. She also taught them
to recognize the destructive schemes that Satan
uses to keep them from following Christ.
Through the truths Donna so
lo
lovingly presented, many girls received
a
fresh touch from heaven. Many made
in
individual decisions to say yes to Jesus,
re
receiving Him as their personal Lord
and an
Savior.
There was no way to know that, just
a month m
later, Donna would enter her
ete
eternal home. What an impact for Christ
she
she made, all the way to the end of her
life.
The words of her best friend, Jaime,
a, express cle
express clearly the impact that Donna and her
daughter had on the lives of others:
Donna, you were the most genuine, loving,
fun, energetic person I know. You showed
me how to love Jesus more and better; you
taught me to love people more than myself.
I can only think of how you’re worshipping
at the feet of your beloved Lord and Savior.
It’s the day you dreamed of and lived for. And
while my fleshly heart wishes you were still
here with me, I know that you wouldn’t come
back if you could.
I’m thankful that you knew how much you
were loved and how many lives you changed,
including mine. Thank you for your beautiful
life and love; it was well lived for Jesus.
And my precious Kaelyn… Oh, how
your Aunt Jaime will miss your big hugs
and infectious smile. Your sweet and gentle
spirit will be remembered forever. The way
you loved your family and friends could
only be known as “Kaelyn’s love.” And your
compassion for those who didn’t have much
and didn’t know Jesus was from the heart of
a little girl who knew what it was to be rich in
Jesus. Hold onto your mama for me. I love
you so much, baby girl.
As I was thinking about Donna and her zest
for life, I realized—Donna Crews made Jesus
visible! Yes, she certainly did! Through her love
and kindness, she attracted many people to Him.
And isn’t that what we are all supposed to
do as believers in Jesus Christ? Aren’t we all to
make Him visible to those who are hurting and
broken? Aren’t we all called to reach out with His
love and compassion as we journey through our
earthly lives?
This doesn’t mean we attempt to force others
to believe in Jesus. We certainly cannot make
someone receive God’s gift of salvation. But
we can lovingly show God’s love and make it
attractive. We can, like Donna and Kaelyn, extend
His hope to others by being kind, thoughtful,
compassionate, giving, gracious, and considerate.
And in our simple acts of love, many will come
to know Him.
by Linda Cubbedge
The h Crews family:f il
Donna, Joshua, Kaelyn, and
Ashlyn Crews, in a photo captured just days before
Donna and Kaelyn departed for their heavenly
home. Donna and Kaelyn left a legacy of love that
continues to impact those they left behind.
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