Tribute to Helen Sannan

Funerals. I always dread them. But I love it when I walk out of a funeral feeling encouraged and inspired.

I left work yesterday to go to Helen Sannan's funeral. I met Helen very soon after we started attending South Albany Community Church almost 30 years ago. I viewed her as one of the old saints of the church back then, and it startled me yesterday to realize that she would have then been only five years older than my current age!

Helen wrote out plans for her funeral 10 years ago, and of course Pastor Darrell followed her directions. Helen wanted to have the gospel preached at her funeral. She had instructed Pastor Darrell that he was to make sure people knew of their need to make a commitment to Jesus and of their need for a committed prayer life. He shared scriptures from her well-worn Bible with comments she had written, and he made us laugh and cry with stories about her, with the deep respect of a pastor who knew and loved her for many years. I loved singing the songs she chose, including "Oh, How I Love Jesus" and "Great is Thy Faithfulness".

I was fortunate to attend a ladies Bible study at her home in 1986. While my baby napped on her bed, my respect for her relationship with God grew, and I learned some things I never forgot. I was adjusting to being a full time housewife/mother at the time. One day some of us were discussing the drudgery of housework, and Helen said she loved doing housework, because she did it for the glory of God. "I sweep the floor as if I were doing it for God." She took 1 Corinthians 10:31 very literally, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." I've thought of that with amazement many times over the years. I have never mastered that attitude like Helen did! Probably because I didn't pray enough and ask God to help me figure out how to apply that to cleaning toilets!

When I think of "Prayer Warrior", Helen Sannan comes to mind. Helen prayed without ceasing. A friend of theirs started coming to church, and Helen told me she had prayed faithfully for him for over 40 years before finally committed his life to Jesus. She advised me to never give up praying no matter how hopeless it seems!

I remember another comment she made back then that I thought was really funny. "By the time you reach my age and have gone through so many things, you have SO MUCH wisdom to share. The problem is that people really don't want to hear it!" I can relate to that at my current advanced age!

Helen also had a great sense of humor. One Sunday after I left my son in the nursery, I noticed I had two different kinds of black pumps on my feet. Just then I saw Helen in the hallway and confessed to her how mortified I was. She laughed long and hard, and made me feel much better! She also reminded me of it several times over the years!

I haven't seen much of Helen and Larry in recent years, and as so often happens after someone is gone, I regret that I didn't make more of an effort to stay in touch. I loved seeing and visiting with her family members after the funeral. It is beautiful to see the love for Jesus in their lives. They were privileged to be around her bedside singing as she left this earth to be with Jesus. My family was blessed to do that with my dad, and I'm so glad they were also able to share that precious time with Helen.

I left that funeral feeling so inspired, with a renewed commitment to prayer and to loving people and Jesus. Thank you, Helen, for all the encouragement and wisdom you shared with me. I look forward to seeing you on the other side!