[This was first posted in tribute to the first Sinaite who passed away so unexpectedly in 2013. Why do we repost every year? For one, in commemoration of a founding member of Sinai 6000; for another, there are lessons to learn from her past contributions. We had lost a prolific writer who would have added so many more articles had she been given more years to live.—Admin1]
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In the words of a Spanish friend, “2013 – Un año de demasiado adioses.“
Indeed, 2013 has been “a year of too many goodbyes”.
Our little community of Sinaites have talked almost month after month about friends, family and acquaintances who passed away—some ‘about time’, meaning they have lived a full life way into their old age; but some young whose parents lamented that children should bury parents and not the other way around. And then there are some ‘untimely’ as in ‘so soon’, ‘too unexpected’, ‘please Lord, not now, not yet’.
Just about the end of this sad year, one we never had expected to overtake the ‘older’ Sinaites who have kidded each other about waiting ‘in the departure area’ —-that one was ELZ@S6K, who had contributed the following articles:
- Moral and Ethical Imperatives in the Book of Exodus
- Spiritual Values in the Book of Exodus
- Dramatic Ironies in the Book of Exodus
- Illusions in the Book of Exodus
- Israel’s Destiny from the Book of Exodus
- Israel’s Responsibility from the Book of Exodus
- EXODUS: The 10 Plagues–Judgment of YHWH upon Egypt’s gods
- The Power of Choice – by ELZ@S6K
- Not “Hallelujah” . . . but HALELUW יה
- And one she didn’t write, but she is mentioned in:
She and her husband had just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary, such a joyful occasion that was attended by friends, family, colleagues and of course, Sinaites. When asked why she chose to celebrate an odd number as ’40’ when celebrations usually are ’25 and ’50’ she kidded, “we may never reach our 50th!”
On the morning of December 31, 2013, she sent out this text to friends:
“We’ll start over with a blank slate this new year.
Let’s store in our minds only worthy memories and discard guilt, grudge and gossip.
Let’s fill the pages with honest, honorable and healthy endeavors.
Let’s be women of substance.
A most blessed new year to you!”
She was among the few we know who deserved the title “the woman of Proverbs 31:10-31.”
And so through this tribute, we join her bereaved husband, children and extended family to release her to that God on Sinai whom she loved and served all her life even when she had not known Him fully until the last two years of her life. As her breath of life returned to her Lord of Life—YHWH—her ‘earthly remains’ . . . understandably remain with those who need time to learn to let go.
We read the words of ‘TAPS’ and sing it in our hearts and minds . . . a well-deserved rest for a loving servant of YHWH. To her, we dedicate this song which we sang at Havdalah on her last Sabbath with us (3rd Sabbath of December); little did we realize it would be our farewell message to her.
A well deserved ‘rest’ for a totally dedicated and loving servant of YHWH; while she could have done so much more had she been given more time in this life, still, there is no better place to move on to than the true and timeless Sanctuary Beyond . . . we can just imagine her saying “Shabbat Shalom!” face to face with the LORD of the Sabbath!
Song: “Taps”
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.
Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.
Thanks and praise, for our days,
‘Neath the sun, ‘neath the stars, neath the sky;
As we go, this we know, God is nigh.
While the light fades from sight,
And the stars gleaming rays softly send,
To thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend.
Then goodnight, peaceful night;
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.
God is near, do not fear,
Friend, goodnight.
[TAPS – Original tune a bugle call known as ‘Scott Tattoo’ 1835-1860; rearranged tune by Daniel Butterfield; added lyrics by Horace Lorenzo Trim]
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[From: The AMIDAH, the ‘standing prayer’ of the Jews]
Image from www.feduja.org
“Remember us
for life,
O King
Who
desires
life,
and
inscribe us
in the
Book
of Life,
for Your sake,
O Living God.”
In behalf of the Sinai Core Community,NSB@S6K
