Sandy

Sandy Lamb was a saint.

With all due respect to my Catholic friends, I'm not talking about canonizing her, although there could be an argument made for that as well, but a saint in the truest sense of the word as we understand it as Lutheran Christians. A baptized ad beloved child of God, she lived her life fully immersed in the presence of the Spirit, and reflecting to the world the light of the living Christ. Sandy knew and believed in the promise of Jesus' resurrection so completely that she could live her life for others, never doubting her own salvation. She knew plenty of pain, the brokenness of divorce, cancer, financial strife, and even endured a lawsuit against her business that she took very personally, but she never waivered in her belief that as that beloved child of God, she could count on her Lord, and it freed her to act on behalf of humanity.

She gave generously to her church, and to a number of charities, but few were as dear to her heart as the need to train and raise up young Christian leaders in faith. She and her husband Gordon approached me in 1993 to help them design a program for raising up young leaders in faithful vocational discernment. They spent ten of thousands of dollars annually funding a ministry that brought young leaders from various congregations together to explore their faith, grow in their own confidences, and discern God's calling to them, despite their vocational direction. Leadership Training Camp became Sandy's passion, and she more thn supported it financially, she got involved personally.

The youth that experienced the program were like "her kids" in many ways. She communicated with many through emails, letters and phone calls, learning about their lives and prayerfully caring for their needs. Even when her own life was strained by the challenges listed above, she stayed true her ommitment to support her LT's. Even when she and Gordon moved from the territory of our synod, she kept supporting the LT ministry. Even when cancer theatened her life, she kept supporting LT ministry. She was relentless in her desire to help raise up faithful young leaders, and did so with great zeal and fervor.

I will miss Sandy, because she exemplified what we have always tried to teach young people about Jesus' style of ministry, to be a leader one must first and foremost be a servant. She lived the servant leader lifestyle, that became even more apparent as I listened to friends and former employees eulogize her at her memoril service last Friday night. Asked by Gordon to speak about her philanthropic work, I was flattered and humbled to do so, and hope my words helped others find comfort at her passing.

Sandy will stand for me as an example of how a person of great faith can live life fully right up to the end, and never compromise her values or desire to serve others faithfully in Jesus name! Sandy reflected the presence of the living Christ in the world right up till the end of her own life...I pray God's strength to be equal to that same task. Thanks be to God for Sandy. Thanks be to God.