“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.” After I wrote the previous blog, I got a call from one of the men in my prayer group, Ron Dorminey, telling me his mother-in-law had passed away. She was 93 years old. I will be preaching her funeral on Tuesday.
 
Olivia Kilcrease will not be known by 99.9% of those who read this blog, but she was known in heaven. A godly woman, wife, and mom, she lived life to the fullest. She was a Proverbs 31 woman and a woman of the Word. I’ve been going through her Bible this morning, and the evidence of her faith is written on its pages. Remember, this is a woman who grew up in an age when people didn’t write notes in their Bibles. But her statements about faith and salvation are strong. She leaves behind the witness of a life well lived and a Bible well read.
 
There was no need for an autopsy to determine the cause of her death. The spiritual Coroner has ruled, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” She died as she lived—by faith. She has seen her Lord face to face. Coroners may seek to determine the cause of one’s death, but Christ reveals the purpose of life and whether a person has lived that life for His glory.
 
Much is being made of the deaths of celebrities. Their names are well known. Olivia’s is not, outside of family and a few friends and church members. But when the great Rewarder reveals her impact, it will be gold, silver, and precious stone. The works, songs, television shows, and films of those famous ones who have died will be forgotten in eternity. Their works will be burned up and forgotten. Their lives are testimonies of having everything and possessing nothing of value. Their witness is a wasted life lived out in the public arena for the praise of men. Their bodies will waste away. Time will eventually remove the memory that they even walked this planet.
 
Eternity will remember those, like Olivia, who walk by faith and not by sight. She is numbered among the saints around the throne today. I would rather meet a person like Olivia than any celebrity this world has to offer.