February 4, 2013

• Thoughts on the passing of Chryste Evans

   

  Even writing that title is unreal. What? How can this be? Chryste has passed from this life to the next? We heard the words ‘shocked’ ‘stunned’ ‘unbelievable’ many times. And that is how we felt/feel. Yet, it is true. She was translated into the spiritual realm after suffering a fatal heart attack caused by a combination of health issues.

   

  In our minds, when we think of Chryste, we hear her wonderful laugh, see that great smile, remember her positive outlook, and her great love of people.

   

  The people she loved best were her family- her husband Dave- well, we called him ‘Dave’, but she called him ‘David’. Chryste was very proper and correct; that translated to everything she was interested in. She pronounced everything distinctly: “David”, and children “Charity”, “William”, “Crystal”, “Connie”, “Celeste”.

   

  Those are the people who our hearts ache for- her family.  Wife and mother; mother-in-law to Chris, Shannon, Daniel, and Joshua; Austin is to be officially ushered in as well, Lord willing, in May, when he and Celeste wed. Grandchildren:  Alex, Evan, Faith; Zachary, Juliana, Abby and their unborn sister. Brother Michael; sister-in-law Cathy; in-laws, nephews, nieces, cousins, and hundreds of brothers and sisters in Christ.

   

  We remember her serious side- what a Bible scholar she was!  It was mentioned this past weekend how she was an inspiration to the teachers and preachers at meetings. She took notes, asked penetrating questions, and gave positive feedback with her interested, pleasant expression.  

   

  She was a marvelous Bible class teacher- her preparation for her lessons was legendary, and her mind was filled with Scripture. David shared with us yesterday after church services in Gingellville, Michigan (her home congregation) that not long ago, she had memorized the book of Philippians, and that she and Dave had read the entire Bible in 2012 out loud to each other, taking turns with the verses.

   

  While I was there (Gingellville) yesterday, I peeked into the classrooms and could see her influence. Models of the tabernacle, charts to track students’ progress, pictures, posters, visual aids for familiar stories. Even the ladies room at the church building reflected the touch of Chryste. It had the familiar symbol for ‘women’ on the door, but had been embellished with scripture in Chryste’s distinctive handwriting- Proverbs 31- the passage on the attributes of the virtuous woman. That same passage was included in Chryste’s memorial booklet-and was an accurate description of her.

   

  We remember her talent- can’t you just hear her singing in your mind right now? Her clear soprano and Dave’s tenor just went together hand in glove. When they sang by themselves, or with their family, or in the assembly, it provided more meaning and joy.

   

  She had a great sense of humor- all those songs. We were always ready to hear an encore of “Fried Ham”. She had a seemingly endless catalog of songs, and could remember all the words.

   

  The Evans crew arrived in the Midwest from California in 1982 and began meeting with the church at Prince Road. They were the catalyst for the Midwest Campout- a daughter of the campout in California. The Evans had energy and ideas, the perfect match for Prince Road’s talents of hard work and practicality.  We loved seeing the Evans family come into the church auditorium- frequently a little late, since they had such a long drive from St. Charles, MO, and from what we understand, operating on “Chryste Time”.

   

  “Chryste Time” was coined by Dave to describe how she worked so hard to make everything ‘just so’- and the time it took to accomplish that. The family was made up of individuals, but Chryste melded them into a unit- their church clothes always seemed to match. We remember a parade of pastels- everyone in pink, or yellow, or green, or blue. The girls’ dresses and hair décor; guys shirts and ties. Wintertime would bring out the red outfits.

   

  I didn’t realize that red was her favorite color until it was requested that funeral attendees wear red in her honor. Looking around the room at the funeral home, and the sea of red- the clothes, the flowers, it made us all match. We became Chryste’s matching family members, and we all mourned together at our loss. 

   

  But we rejoiced for her- this was what she, and all those who believe, was/are preparing for. She preceded us, but really, it won’t take that long for the rest of us to follow. So we will try to be patient, and endure and work, so we will not be separated eternally.

   

  Funerals give us the jolt we need when we become casual about what life really is. I am thankful to Chryste and Chryste’s family for a needed reminder of what is really important-faith, family, love, dedication to things that are truly good.

  • 7:47 am
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