Nov 17th...Remembering Lindsay Ostrem Roach

Tomorrow marks the 15th Anniversary of Lindsay heading to the "Land of the Living". It was a bitter sweet day 15 years ago. The loss was huge but the Hope and Faith Lindsay had was enough to carry the day. She was trading one set of health issues for another when she had her lung transplant. God's grace was with us all in the knowledge that she was not going to suffer long term and then die. For some this will seem unthinkable. Death is one of those fears that grips all of us.

One of my mentors and friend, Rev.Dave A. referred to death as "complete healing in Jesus" from all things and at times a gift of grace shown to the sufferer. The truth is that the Word of God in Christ is where our hope and healing lies. Trusting in God's love, mercy and grace in the person of Jesus brings hope and healing even from the loss of a child. Grateful for her life and faith, Lois and I are forever blessed as her friends or family recall her impact on their journeys of faith and life.

A favorite quote from Lindsay's last campfire in their back yard a few days before her surgery:

"I'm going to have a lung transplant. If I live, I'm good. If I don't, I'm good."

Her faith and courage was so huge. She was a "light of faith" that was to be shined for a few more days on this earth for all to see. Reflecting the Life of Jesus in her she moved forward toward complete and total healing.

We are so grateful for the time we had to share in this one named Lindsay Nicole Ostrem Roach.

John Claypool, another father who lost a daughter, wrote these words of grace and hope for us to share with others. We edited it to reflect our loss by replacing Lindsay's name for his daughter

“Here, in a nutshell, is what it means to understand something as a gift and to handle it with gratitude, a perspective biblical religion puts around all of life. And I am here to testify that this is the only way down from the Mountain of Loss. I do not mean to say that such a perspective makes things easy, for it does not. But at least it makes things bearable when I remember that Lindsay was a gift, pure and simple, something I neither earned nor deserved nor had a right to. And when I remember that the appropriate response to a gift, even when it is taken away, is gratitude, then I am better able to try and thank God that I was ever given her in the first place.” 

Quote from Tracks of a fellow struggler by John Claypool, pg. 82, Word Publisher, 1974.  (We have edited the text by using Lindsay’s name to replace his daughter’s name in the original text.)

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Fear not...Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." Trust Him and there will be no fear of death or loss. Only gratitude for all He has done and promised.

Blessings my friends

Lindsay Ostrem Roach

04/05/1977-11/17/2003