A Prayer Father, we come before you today with a great deal of sorrow. Inexpressible sadness. Yet we know that You understand. And even in the midst of this sorrow, I feel that I can speak for all of us in saying, "Thank You." Thank you for the life of Joan Hamilton. Her life was undeniably a gift from You. A life that touched many other lives. A life of hard work, sacrifice, and most of all love. Joan knew the value of family and treasured hers. So much so that even as a 78 year old widow, faced with advanced cancer, she was prepared to fight with all she had. This speaks of the kind of family relationships she had. She was welcomed and active in the lives of her children. She felt valued, loved, and cared for. And Lord, even though her life was taken before any of us were ready to let go, we must acknowledge what a truly good and precious gift her life was. And we do thank You for her. If Joan could speak to her family and loved ones today, I know she would want to tell them how much she loves them and how each of them blessed her life. Lord, she was pleased to be a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. And I know that she would hope that through this time we would reach out to You and grow in our relationship with You - the Giver of life and blessings, comfort and hope. So I will pray, Lord, that You would draw each of us closer to You. Grant peace and comfort to all of us who are grieving the loss of Joan and bring Your healing into each life. We again thank you for her life, a life of giving, and the joy it brought to so many. We now entrust her to Your care, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.