How are we to remember Lydia Grace Wu, a 10 year old girl?

Some of you may know… She is a celloist, only allowed to play cello if she could do extremely well and win in her 3 competitions for piano. She indeed won. She is a great pianist. She is a swimmer! Loves the water rushing by her as she swam her laps. She is a dancer, her along with the rest of the family, loving to dance. She is a singer, with a beautiful tender sweet voice.

For those of you who saw her achieve in all of these wonderful gifts and talents, whether as fellow students, or as teachers who had the privilege to teach such a brilliant mind. She is a good student, wanting to soak in all that she could, wanting to do well in all that she put her hands to, put her mind to… put her heart to. Seeing her eyes excited and filled with joys of learning… her eyes excited about life, about living, about growing in mind, body, heart, and spirit.

For some of us, she is a friend. And to a very select few: She is a sister, she is a daughter. She played with you, she listened to you, she encouraged you, she comforted you, she laughed with you, she cried with you… and knowing the Wu family… she probably argued with you a lot… even called you out when you did something wrong – but with her – in the way she talked, the way she said things… it’s okay if she corrected you… because you knew, you saw, you experienced her deep concern for you … as she lived her life in loving you.

How are we to remember Lydia Grace Wu?

There are some of us who are here, who do not know her as a student, a classmate, a friend, a sister, or a daughter. Why are you here? You’ve heard her story and some of you have travelled far and wide to be here. Thank you. You are here because you want to remember her, not because of her death, not because of her dying, but because of her LIFE and her living, especially through her last year as she battled and fought against cancer. She lived it well, she lived it all… lovingly not just to her family, not just to her friends, but even to strangers… to the doctors, to the nurses, and to the other patients. Throughout the last year of her life – she was all about loving you as best as she could.

Did she ever get grumpy? Yeah, I’m sure she did and she probably did snap at people, especially at those she loved most. But soon after – this is how beautiful and pure her love was… She would apologize and ask for forgiveness. “Sorry for being grumpy at you. Sorry for snapping at you.” Some of you probably think, “Oh Lydia, you don’t have to apologize – cuz we understand.” But in her heart, Lydia knew this one fact – that the pain and suffering she was going through is NOT a good reason to stop loving others. It is NOT a good reason to think only of herself. It is NOT a good reason to leave words of bitterness to those she loves.

How are we to remember Lydia Wu?

How was she able to do all of that? To live 10 years of her life, and truly b/c of how she LIVED her last year, battling through cancer, battling through treatments, through the pain, through the suffering… that she could be such a bright light in the darkness of this world, that ALL of you are here, ALL of you are touched, ALL of you are drawn b/c of her story… HOW did she live life so well, living it all?

How are we to remember little Lydia?

I tell you the truth - It is not JUST the name of Lydia that we remember tonight. It is not JUST the name of the WU family that we remember tonight. It is the name of Grace – her middle name. The word GRACE that only exists and that we can ONLY understand the meaning of it because of one other person – for tonight we remember not just the name of Lydia Grace Wu, but the name of Jesus Christ… for it is because of Jesus that Lydia could live her life the way that she did – full of love, full of zeal, full of passion, full of purpose.

Purpose? 10 years?! Purpose?! …

Do you know why Lydia was such a bright light of hope and of love? I know that if she were here and you asked her why, she would say, “B/c I love you, and I love you, because Jesus loves me and you. Do you know Jesus? Do you want to know Jesus?” She knew Jesus as so good, the creator of all things – the one who created her beautiful, who created her talented in so many ways, the one who created to be so intelligent and growing in wisdom, in maturity, and in love – that her passion was to be a missionary to go and tell others about how good God is, and how good Jesus is – not because of all the good things that indeed God gave to her, but b/c she knew that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life!

To find meaning and purpose is because of Jesus. To experience love to love others to KNOW love fully is b/c of Jesus. To truly Enjoy this life – overcoming the evils of this world the evils in our lives… to find healing for the brokenness because of our sins and mistakes… is all b/c of Jesus. The only way we have hope for the future (hope in eternity) is b/c of Jesus. And if she were here right now, she’d tell you it is all because of Jesus – I lived it well, I lived it all b/c of Jesus

And the beauty of today is – she has already told you exactly that – in the way she lived.

As the cancer stripped away everything of her physical beauty, physical strength, sapping away her talents and gifts, even her intellect and ability to speak – these things remained clear – her hope and love in Jesus and her love for others…. All of it because she knew Jesus had forgiven her and helped her overcome her sins and have GIVEN her true life.

For those of you who are here and you want to remember Lydia’s story and perhaps even tell it to others, know this – in order to tell her story well, you have to know Jesus. In order for you to speak the truth about her life, you have to know Jesus. Do you know Jesus?

For those of you who do not know Jesus… I pray that you do… for this world is filled with false purpose, false meaning… with pleasures that should have been good but have been twisted and distorted and abused without Jesus. There are pursuits of self-glory, self-gain, self-popularity, self-success/achievement… all in order to make our mark in the history of mankind. We watch things like American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent, and the World Olympics. And… Lydia could sing, Lydia could dance, Lydia had many talents, and Lydia could swim. And although the winners of such events will make a mark in the history of mankind, the life of Lydia’s 10 years will leave a mark into your lives DEEPER than ANY of those famous people could ever leave… and your heart will ache and long for whatever Lydia has in her life. And I tell you the truth, Lydia has Jesus. Do you want to know Jesus?

For those of you who know Jesus… tonight we know that indeed it is a sorrowful night… but for those of us with a faith similar to Lydia’s we know that tonight is a wonderful night – that no matter how many tears have been shed, and no matter what tears we are shedding now we praise our God, our Father in heaven. Yes, Lydia’s story is true and powerful, and it is only such b/c of Jesus. But I look at all of you that love our God as much as Lydia. We all have a story to tell of Jesus’ love for all of us… we also have a life to live for Jesus. If God can use Lydia’s life of 10 years to impact others, he can and he will use yours. Have you accepted Jesus as center of your life as Lydia did? What’s your story of Jesus in your life?

Perhaps you have fallen away from Jesus, and Lydia’s life brings you to shame. Good. BUT - Do NOT run away from Jesus! Take that shame, take the sin that is ruining your life and bring to God and he will heal you, he will forgive you, he will take it away. And you too can be like Lydia with a powerful and true story… filled with love, filled with hope, and filled with grace… all because of Jesus Christ.

How are we to remember Lydia Grace Wu? Listen to the words of Lydia’s favorite hymn, Amazing Grace… and hear how her life echoes behind the words.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Thank you, Lydia Grace Wu, you are the light of the world… we love you, we miss you

… and Lord Jesus Christ – we love you, we thank you, and we praise your name – forever and ever–Amen.