He's Alive!

I met Marc my freshman year of high school at the Lighthouse—a Christian youth group based out of Ben and Anita's home. Our friendship grew, and soon we were part of that tight circle of friends that Rolf described Marc missing so much his freshman year at Stanford. I have a thousand memories of Marc and everyone that writes on this blog reminds me of another time I did something with him. Dusty wrote and I remember hanging out with Marc and his friends from Stanford at the beach. Rolf writes and I remember going skiing with Marc and Rolf and conversations that we had at the Pneumatic Diner. (You were obviously special to him, Rolf, since he took you "home" to meet all of us). Andre and Ben and Anita will remember well when our friend Quinn died, and we grieved and supported each other. I remember a group of us just driving around in Marc's car (Stephanie described his car well). It is so odd to loose someone that you have grieved with. It was the late 80's and Michael W. Smith was singing "Friends are forever if the Lord's the Lord of them…" The Bible says that now we see dimly, but we shall see Him face to face. Now we know in part, but soon we shall know just as we are fully known. Marc fully knows and understands, and someday, we will know what he meant when he said…or forgot what he was saying in mid-sentence and cracked himself up about it. He also knows our good intentions, and anything that was left undone, or unsaid, that should have been said. He is worshipping God with Quinn again too! Who knows what they are talking about—how amazing Jesus really is and all of you!

Once I was on an Inter-Varsity retreat—some of you were there too. Marc was so excited about it because a man was coming that he had met on his mission to Malaysia. The man prayed over me, and that was good, but I also experienced God in a way that I will never forget in a small chapel after we prayed. Naj (now my husband) and I went inside alone and prayed and God overwhelmed me with His great love, and showed me how it feels to be in heaven. I laughed and cried so hard. Every burden I had was lifted, and was somehow almost funny—the joy was so indescribably beyond anything I have experienced since. Unfortunately, I think that trying to explain how heaven feels is even worse than the story of an Eskimo that traveled to Hawaii, and then back to the Arctic only to have to settle on sweet whale blubber for a pineapple's comparison. I am thinking a lot these days about what Marc is doing now. How he is smiling and laughing and enjoying Jesus face to face.

I have never seen heaven, but those who have have a hard time describing how amazing it is. There is a girl, living today that claims to have visions of heaven. She paints them (she is a prodigy). She says, "It is just so beautiful there." Here is a link:

www.tinyurl.com/yxewot.

There are also countless memories that seem to flood my mind in no chronological order whatsoever: water skiing at French's (Stephanie I am still impressed that y'all could swim that lake), going to Marc's parent's cabin in all kinds of weather, hiking, downhill and cross country skiing, trips to the California beach, staying with Marc in the dorms at Stanford, visiting his classes and ultimate games, crashing on his friends living room floors on trips together, looking out over the lights of Reno and just talking, meeting Marc after long absences for dinner with Leif and Charity and Naj and catching up, going to his neighbor's beach at Tahoe (thank you), worshipping at Lighthouse, praying on their couch, helping Marc with that black plastic dance in his garage—being surprised how well Marc could actually dance, Naj arranging for us to drive over to Palo Alto on my 21st birthday to go to a concert with Marc and friends, Les Miserables in San Fransisco, and a million weekends in his parents den—thank you Mike and Anita! I never thought that little clay Mr. Bill was as funny as Marc did.

Marc has so many different friends and he was such a connector of people. Dan and Janice, I hardly know you, but I remember being at your wedding with Marc—singing How Great Thou Art and Janice being a beautiful bride. Maria and Thomas and Corona-- Marc loves you!—He was talking about you when I was in San Francisco with Naj at a conference, even though we caught up, he was eager to get home that day and be with Amy.

I remember the first time that he met Amy. He was on an Inter-Varsity retreat and somehow became prayer partner. He had such an incredible spiritual experience that he called me long distance to tell me about it. Years later when he was asking me what I thought about the idea of him asking Amy to marry him, I reminded him of that first time he met her. God is clearly is in the midst of their marriage, and we are praying and crying for you, Amy.

Max, I remember Marc saying that there had to be a better way of explaining the gospel than "that!" after you asked me a question and I started in Genesis. I am laughing remembering the conversation! I hope that you will seek out that understanding because he longs to see you again and have you know his precious Jesus.

In the book of Matthew in Chapter 22 "The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him…" and in verses 31 and 32 Jesus explains, "concerning the resurrection of the dead" "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob[.] God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." God is the God of Marc, and Marc is not dead, but Marc is still very much alive!

May the God of Marc be your God this day, and may His peace and joy fill your heart!

Marc's senior picture—probably the fall of 1988: His hair was stiff from product and stuck straight up—he didn't want anyone to touch it and mess up all his hard work, but he got such a kick out of Katy Wanless's living spoof on the 80's big hair. Katy kept growing out her bangs to see how high she could get them to stay up with hair spray.

Marc and I in his dorm room at Stanford—probably 1991

September 4, 1993 at our wedding with Charity and Leif Sanchez

Marc's 1995 Christmas card

Kimberly Dionne (Hancock) Ghaussy
Haywood County, North Carolina
828-627-9339
828-593-9577
kimberlyghaussy@yahoo.com