This video is a 20-minute dedication. Don't miss the last 6 minutes/30seconds (starting at 17:00). There is a powerful testimony  The last two songs in the video are accompanied by a visual testimony of Gods grace and redemption in this story. To God be the praise. He is mighty to save.

 

God chose Saturday, September 29th, 2018 to deliver our beloved Caroline from her struggle with addiction, once and for all. The day before Caroline passed away, she professed with her mouth and believed in her heart that Jesus is Lord. We find solace in knowing she is safe with our Father in heaven. Caroline Lauren Cogdill, 18, of Greenville, SC was a talented pianist, writer, and artist. She was also gifted in volleyball and soccer. Music was her passion, second only to making people laugh and smile. Her sister, Ashley, often said, Caroline was born with a "heart condition"-- her heart was too big for her body. She felt too deeply at times, but it allowed her to love everyone unconditionally, and she never judged a soul. She taught her family and those blessed to know her how to see beauty in the broken things of life. Despite her struggles, she saw the good in people, always reaching out to console her friends during their hard times. To quote one of Caroline's writings, she was “searching for sight in a world blinded by lights. She walked with fervor in her eyes. She knew about love beyond ideologies and beauty, beyond our own poetic words. She existed between spaces leaving a trail wherever she would go.” Talitha Kum meaning "little girl, get up" in Aramaic “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.” {Psalm 18:16} Amen!

 

Sometimes the Lord delivers us from the fire; sometimes He delivers us through the fire and sometimes He delivers us by the fire. God delivered Caroline His way. Caroline was brave, and she was authentic. Her greatest strength was her ability to extend mercy through forgiveness, and she did so with a sincere heart. Redemption meant everything to Caroline. In honor of Caroline, the family has asked that each of you think of any broken relationship you may be experiencing and consider extending mercy and forgiveness to facilitate restoration in that relationship. Life is fragile and fleeting. There are moments in life that mark our path. Moments when time is divided into two parts, before this and after this, and you realize that nothing will ever be the same. I didn’t realize the last time Caroline and I talked it would be our last. We didn’t know the next morning God would call her name. 

 

This life, as we know it, is just a stop along the road. It is a pause in what’s to come. We are meant to learn while we are here and to grow spiritually. Every day we are given is an opportunity to exchange our time by either wasting it or by intentionally pursuing our purpose. When tomorrow comes, this day is gone forever. So, what is the meaning of life, in death? What was the point of it all especially when it ends abruptly or unexpectedly? The point is…God wants us to love him. Period. All the way. He doesn’t want us to be religious or to simply do good things and be good people. He wants us to fall in love with Him. The Bible says the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” {Matt 22:36-40} When our time is up, and we are called into eternity will any work project or accomplishment be important? Will the money we have earned and saved go with us? Will it matter that we had an opportunity to read the Bible but we decided to spend our time doing other things? The Bible is the primary way that God speaks to us and helps us to learn about who He is and how He has instructed us to live. It contains every answer to every problem of life. But, most importantly it contains spiritual food so that we can grow, mature and learn to “do what He says.”

 

The day is coming that we will absolutely stand before the throne of God and we will be without excuse. Eternity is everlasting. It is hard for our carnal minds to fully comprehend the reality of it. Our eternity hangs in the balance at this stop along the road. Caroline’s passing has stamped a permanent reminder upon my heart to boldly share the good news that Jesus Christ is the Lord. He must be the Lord of our lives. He is the one and only way to redemption. Jesus said that He prefers that we are either hot or cold. There is no riding the fence. If we are lukewarm in our position and pursuit of Christ, then He said He would spit us out. {Rev3:15-17}

 

You do not know if tomorrow will start without you. Today is the day.