The Kind of Life That Echoes

You could usually hear Paula before you saw her.

Her joyful laugh echoed down the children’s hallway, and if you followed the sound, you would almost always find a room full of children who knew they were deeply loved.

That was Paula.

She was a faithful follower of Jesus who loved the Lord deeply and served Him with humility and joy. She faithfully served in our Preschool Ministry before joining me in the 4-year-old Life Group. When God called us to move to 2nd Grade, she was hesitant because she loved her little ones so much. But she trusted the Lord, stepped into that new role, and spent the next three years faithfully loving another group of children. She also, continued to serve faithfully with the littles in WeeCare.

Over the past five years, Paula was more than my co-teacher. She became one of my dearest friends.

Together, our classroom became more than a classroom. It became a little family.

That was because of Paula.

She had a gift for making every child feel seen, welcomed, and loved. The children didn’t simply like Ms. Paula. They ran to her. They knew she delighted in them. She made them feel safe, important, and treasured.

She had a servant’s heart in every sense of the word.

She rarely looked for recognition. She wasn’t interested in being noticed. Her greatest desire was simply to be faithful wherever God placed her. Whether she was preparing a lesson, cutting out crafts, or sitting beside a child who needed encouragement, she served with her whole heart because she loved Jesus.

Every Sunday, children walked into our classroom and found a little bag, wrote their name on it. Throughout the morning it would fill with crafts, notes, treats, and little surprises that Ms. Paula loved sending home. She was always looking for a way to make a child smile.

Her crafts always seemed to sparkle because she believed there was no such thing as too many jewels. The more, the better. She loved watching children proudly carry home something they had created.

She also spent countless hours creating word searches, crossword puzzles, and activities in Excel because she believed children were worth every minute of preparation. She never viewed children’s ministry as filling a volunteer position. She saw it as a calling and a privilege.

Her kindness extended far beyond Sunday mornings.

She constantly encouraged others, quietly met needs, and consistently put people before herself. It was simply who she was.

Then everything changed.

Paula walked through a sudden and aggressive illness with remarkable faith. Our children didn’t even know she was sick until she could no longer be with us. We simply told them Ms. Paula was very sick and that we could continue praying because Jesus has power over sickness and death.

That was the last truth we taught together.

Every single week, our kiddos faithfully prayed for Ms. Paula.

Even after she could no longer come to church, her heart never left our classroom. She continued asking about the children, wanted updates after every Sunday, checked on Vacation Bible School, asked about Kids Camp, and wanted to know what they were learning. Though illness kept her away physically, her love for those children never changed.

While I was away at Kids Camp, I received updates about Paula almost every day.

Throughout the week we repeatedly sang a song called Two Shirts. Every time we sang it, I thought about her.

The song speaks about putting others before yourself, serving instead of seeking recognition, and storing up treasures in heaven instead of treasures on earth.

I couldn’t help but smile because it described the way Paula lived.

She quietly met needs.

She generously gave.

She faithfully served.

She loved people the way Jesus loved people.

After Paula went home to be with Jesus, I personally called each of our 2nd Grade families before Sunday morning. I wanted our parents to have the opportunity to talk with their children before they came back to class.

As I listened to family after family describe Ms. Paula, many of the same words kept being repeated.

Attentive.

Compassionate.

Generous.

Creative.

Dependable.

Joyful.

Kind.

Loving.

Playful.

Trustworthy.

Wise.

Genuine.

The more parents shared, the more I realized something beautiful.

They had seen exactly what I had seen every week for the past five years.

To me, Paula embodied Proverbs 27:17, Colossians 3:12-14, and Proverbs 27:9. She sharpened those around her, clothed herself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, and brought encouragement wherever she went.

She leaves behind a legacy that cannot be measured.

Not because she stood on a stage.

Not because she held a title.

Not because she sought recognition.

She leaves behind a legacy because she faithfully loved Jesus and faithfully loved people.

She showed me, and countless others, that eternal impact is often made around glue-covered tables, sparkling crafts, children’s laughter, whispered prayers, and ordinary Sunday mornings that God faithfully uses in extraordinary ways.

Today, as we remember Paula, I am reminded that a life completely surrendered to Christ is never wasted.

Heaven is sweeter because she is there.

Our classroom will never quite sound the same without her joyful laugh echoing down the hallway.

But every child she loved, every person she encouraged, every friend she faithfully walked beside, and every life she quietly pointed toward Jesus is part of the beautiful legacy she leaves behind.

Thank you, Paula.

Thank you for loving Jesus so faithfully.

Thank you for loving children so intentionally.

Thank you for showing us what joyful, humble, faithful service looks like.

Well done, good and faithful servant.

If you’d like to hear the song that reminded me so much of Paula during Kids Camp. It’s called, “Two Shirts”. Every time we sang it, I couldn’t help but think of the way she lived her life: faithfully putting others before herself and storing up treasures in heaven.

💜💕