Behind the scenes…. making a difference, behind the scenes (1 Peter 3:15). I am writing this blog in honor of my precious mama, one I can confidently say made an enormous difference in this world, leaving her amazing mark, “behind the scenes.”

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A Life of Quiet Impact

No, mama wasn’t a total introvert, and early on, she was quite hilarious a lot of the time (moving forward in this journey, there will be many amazing stories of her). My mom wanted to be sunshine for those who seemed to be having a rainy day.

Her heart was literally 24/7 focused on:
“Who can I take care of today?”
“Who can I cook a meal for?”
“Who can I call to give an encouraging word to?”

And so on. Jesus truly exuded from her behaviors (Philippians 2: 5-8).

Seemingly, she became more reserved as the years went by, and she got most of her enjoyment out of being at her cozy home with her beloved husband, my dad. Social media became more and more popular, and with my mama—CC (what my kids and many others called her)—she loved to dote on her family, utilizing Facebook.

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Her Testimony Shone Online

Something else she loved to do on Facebook was to testify. To testify about God’s amazing grace, His love, His mercy, and on and on!

I was never able to sit down and write out what I wanted to say at mama’s Celebration of Life. At that time, I just couldn’t even process the thought of her being absent from earth, so I prayed:
“God, give me the words to say to touch everyone in attendance.”

By the way, there were roughly 500 plus people at her service—such a testament of the amazing woman she was.

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A Message from Across the World

This was the story I told:

Saturday, after mama made her journey to Heaven (Friday, August 18, 2023), my brother, father and I all received a message from someone on Facebook. His name is Julian Mendoza. He is from an African village in Nigeria. His message to us was this:

“Please know I am heartbroken over the loss of my precious Aunt Cindi.
Aunt Cindi and I began communicating over Facebook years ago, as her name showed up on my feed and I immediately could tell she was a Godly woman of much faith, so I friend-requested her immediately.

Throughout the years, Aunt Cindi and I communicated all the time, to the point she even remembered my family and each’s birthdays.
Aunt Cindi was my supporter in times of trouble. She prayed constantly and fervently for the safety of my whole village, as she knew the dangers that occur in such a place.

I learned from Aunt Cindi more about the gospel, and we became brother and sister in Christ.
As a matter of fact, truthfully, the whole village knew her as “Aunt Cindi”! They all knew exactly who I was talking about when I referenced her in story with others.

She made an impact not only on my life, but on the lives of many here in the Nigerian community I live in. I will miss her always.”

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Her Ministry Was in the Shadows

You see, mama didn’t have to have a huge physical platform to be of encouragement to others and to live out her God-given purpose.

I can certainly say beyond the shadow of a doubt, mama arrived at the gates of Heaven and heard from her Heavenly Father:
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

She competed and won the race to receive her place in paradise, now in communion with past family members and friends, and at the beck and call of our amazing Lord, Jesus Christ.

She is now my angel and the angel of many others—those she loved with all her heart and soul, those here in America, and across broad waters, all the way to Nigeria, Africa.

I meditate on Psalm 91:11:

“For God will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.”

In this, we have assurance that we are looked after by those He promotes to be His Angels in Heaven. The signs are all over, we have to look for them and embrace each as the amazing miracles they are. I find mine in nature, in songs, in time, and others. The blessing is in the calmness of my spirit, knowing without the shadow of a doubt, my mama is ok. She is held in the arms of Jesus, and we WILL reunite one glorious day!

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Be Who God Created You to Be

As my precious mama is a beautiful example, leave your mark on this earth by what you are comfortable doing and embrace who God made you to be.

Sometimes, He will ask you to step out on faith, and in those times, He will give you the tools and confidence you will need to accomplish His good and purposeful will. And have faith, that sometimes, being “behind the scenes” is actually more important than being out in the open.

Always remember, you are fearfully and wonderfully made, in His image, and created to be part of the body of Christ. Remember—those parts are not all the same. Differences are key and so necessary to spread the gospel (1 Corinthians 12: 12-27).

Mama’s story of her relationship with Julian was written communication and times of speaking through phone calls where they would pray. Mama was always there for Julian in times of need all “behind the scenes.”

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Final Word

Keep your focus on this amazing truth and be the person Jesus made you to be!

~ AMEN!

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Enjoy the additional encouragement in song. Click the link to hear the song pertaining to this week’s message of hope: Legacy by Nicole Nordeman