Pastor Sherry became a part of my life when I first began to attend Mountain View when I was around 9 years old. I remember her always speaking calmly and quietly - no matter how chaotic a band room full of kids ranging from kindergarten to 6th grade got. She was not a push over though, and she was someone that you wanted to earn the respect of. Back in those days of meeting at Clovis High, we had to "set up" and "tear down" church every Sunday. I, along with some of my friends, were given the task of taking down the nursery and toddler room. Each Sunday, we would load up the plastic rocking alligator, the play kitchen, the baby bouncers. Periodically, Pastor Sherry would take us out to pizza in appreciation for our work. Although the pizza was pretty exciting at that point in life, I really continued to do it just because Pastor Sherry had asked me to. I saw her example of working hard, and working even when no one else was watching. Her example of being a servant is something I will never forget.
I was promoted to help in Sunday school pretty much the week after I had graduated from the class myself. Pastor Sherry always felt that kids were very important, and that we deserved to play an equal role in the church body. I started off helping out in the Pre-K class. Down the road, I was in charge of the Toddler class, and eventually, I served as a summer intern, in charge of both. She never seemed to doubt that I could handle the responsibility, and although now it seems like a lot to entrust to a teenager, I can see how she eased me into the role...slowly giving me more to take on, teaching me how to love kids, how to serve, and ultimately how to lead. I continued to learn from her as we went to Kenya together in 2006, and were prayer partners during one of the summers that I interned. She became my official "boss" - but really she was my mentor and my friend. We would read books about the intrinsic value of children and talk about it while sipping coffee or sitting in the sunshine outside. She would always ask what I need - referring to both the physical and spiritual needs. She was an incredible leader over Children's Ministry - but was never one to be the center of attention or receive credit for the work she had done. I know her treasures are overflowing abundantly in heaven.
When I went away to college, she continued to invest in my life through prayer and encouragement. During breaks, we would meet up for coffee to catch up. As college came to an end and the dream of Imani was being born, she never told me I was crazy, but immediately was excited at the prospect that God was using me in this way. We could always talk about Kenya, as it was a place that weighed heavy on her heart, as it did on mine. To the end, Sherry faithfully supported Imani, even ordering shirts when I know her health was declining. Having her full support was a huge blessing and encouragement, especially in the beginning when even I thought the whole thing was a bit crazy.
Even though I am an oncology nurse, we did not really talk a lot about cancer. Maybe it was my way of coping, as sometimes the more you know, the harder it is to continue to live in the present. I did not ask the names of her chemo drugs or the dosing. I did not ask about the staging or the prognosis. I only asked how she was, and she was always hopeful, always positive, always grateful. She never blamed God or asked why me. She continued to praise our Lord and Savior until the end. She lived without regrets - her life was spent bringing forth the Kingdom, and now she is dancing with Jesus.
It is not easy to narrow down the impact her life had on mine, but I want to highlight 3 things. She taught me to be a servant leader, staying out of the limelight, never desiring to be popular or known, but to serve those you are leading in a way that conveys you care about them as an individual - that we are all walking through this journey together, that there are not spiritual superiors. She embraced gratitude, always expressing her thanks to those who served in the church, and living her life in a way that did not take anything for granted. And she elevated children as equals in the church, reminding us that Jesus set forth the example as he said let the children come to me. She took time to hear the voices and the prayers of children, even teaching others around the world not to discount the faith of a child.
Pastor Sherry, you will be missed. You left a great legacy, and you will not be forgotten.
