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Memorial Service Homily

Julia Vanderbleek
1963 - 2015

Why?
A senseless tragedy. Another good person taken before her time . . . in an
instant . . . in the blinking of an eye. A devoted husband, Jim Vanderbleek,
robbed of his business partner and, more devastating, the great love and
inspiration of his life. Jamie and Jackie and Jacob suddenly without the
mother who shared a boundless love with them - snatched away while she
still had such a wealth of wisdom and guidance and so much more to
impart to them. Who was Julie? She was a wife, a sister, an aunt, a cousin,
a friend . . . and yes, a daughter to our cherished friend Tommie and her
husband Jim. Who was Julie? Words wont do her justice. She was, she is,
a child of God.
But Tommie - to lose a child . . . the magnitude is unspeakable. Our hearts
go out to you. More than once youve asked me what we all wonder why . . . why such a good person, an actively faithful person who put Jesus
Christ in the forefront of her life - why would God allow this to happen? Its
a question whose full answer isnt for us to know . . . not yet. God has
chosen to make much of the workings of Creation a mystery. But not
entirely. As with any hunt for treasure, for a pearl of great price, weve been
given a map.
I am the way, our Lord tells the disciples, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father but by me. Jesus is the way. But what is the way that
Jesus is? Its a hard road, isnt it . . . the way of the cross?
We may never know why Julie was taken from you, taken from us. But what
we do know, what we fervently believe, is that in every step of her way, her

Lord was with her, holding her hand, comforting her, understanding even at
her last breath . . . even to the end. And beyond. Our God walked with her
all the way through this life and then, too soon we cry, he held out his arms
and welcomed her into the next.
And thats not all. Hes with you too, with us all, no matter what . . . no
matter what suffering we may endure, no matter what sins we may commit,
what doubts we may harbor.
The grace of God is found in Gods Son - in the love and forgiveness for
saints and sinners alike that he lived and proclaimed. God is Love.
And so today, even while we mourn, we gather to celebrate the life of Julie
Zimmerman Vanderbleek. We rejoice that her funeral last week in St.
Petersburg overflowed with more people than her church had ever before
welcomed at one time. We rejoice that she continues to live, in heaven and
the hearts of her family and a multitude of friends. We rejoice that her
Pastor described her at her sendoff as the type of mother that every child
should have. She is the daughter-in-law that everybody wishes their son
would marry.
Jim Vanderbleek was the son she did marry. Just a few days ago, he wrote
to tell me that even now, because of her, hes in a good place; and in
tribute to Julie he wrote her a letter after shed gone that he bravely shared
with the world. I wish there was time for us all to hear every one of his
words that could only have been inspired by, as Jim refers to her, an
angel.
Here, then is a small portion of that letter:
Hey sport, How are you?

I first want to say thanks for the walk along the park last Friday night right
after dinner. I had a blast and I meant what I said [about] how much I love
you and how I could not be happier . . . . I know you had to cut our date
short and leave early without saying goodbye, but man it was nice to be
with you in such a turbulent moment in time.
I could not have been more
in love or more proud of you, and I surely was the most blessed man in St.
Pete. Sorry if my kisses on your cheek were a little sloppy, my eyes were
watering up . . . . Maybe it was me, but I swear I sensed a little electricity in
those kisses. Kind of like love cant get any better. And I know this sounds
corny, but being able to be with you on your departure was the most
touching moment of our 28 years together. Lets see if I have learned a
thing or two for my next journey in life.
Learning from loss, from death, for my next journey in life - what a
surprising and profound thing to say. Theres so much more that Julies Jim
wrote. Every word speaks of love. Perhaps if any of you call on Tommie
over the next weeks, shell share the entire letter with you. But I thought Id
end my reading from his letter right now with the thought that not just Jim
but Tommie and, indeed, all of us wake up very day to face the next steps
on our own journeys through life. Most of us here didnt know Julie, but that
doesnt mean we cant learn from her life and from her death.
Every second of life is precious - Gods greatest gift of all. No matter what,
give thanks for that . . . For Julies extraordinary life of grace, certainly, but
also for your life and for the bounty of life all around that blesses us in
untold ways. Be grateful, not just for the abundance of life but for the love
with which its filled, for the truth that thanks to the Love of God in Jesus
Christ, we are never alone, always loved, even to the end. And beyond.
Amen.

Its been said many times that a pictures worth a thousand words. And so
now, a video tribute that Julies husband Jim sent to us. A minute ago, I
mentioned that most of us dont know the person whose life were here to
celebrate, but in the 7 minutes it will take to watch this, perhaps well come
to know this angel a bit better.