Beautiful

Joanne Just

We had Joanne Just's funeral service today. We met at the graveside and then gathered at New Covenant for a Celebration of Life service. Here is what I shared today at the service.

The word that comes to mind when I think of Joanne is the word beauty. Joanne loved to decorate, to arrange, to entertain. She loved the beauty of God’s creation and she took pleasure in creating beauty for others to enjoy.

Joanne took delight in discovering beauty, even in the ordinary. Perhaps it was her quest for beauty that drew her into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In Psalms 27:4 David says:

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

Today we can take comfort that Joanne is in the presence of her Savior, enjoying his beauty forever.

Joanne also understood that true beauty is not merely external, but rather emanates from a persons character. Proverbs 31:10 says:

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Joanne knew the secret of true beauty. Her warm smile and twinkle in her eyes immediately drew people to her. Her beauty was more that cosmetic, it came from deep within, from a heart that was yielded to her God and His purposes for her life.

1 Peter 3:3-4 says:
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Because Joanne attended to her inner world and nourished her relationship with Christ, at the end of her life she was as beautiful as the day Steve first met her. Her beauty was unfading, emanating from a heart that was at rest. And it was this inner beauty that Joanne possessed that drew many of you to her. You felt better just being around her.

Our modern culture worships youth and beauty. We seek image make overs in our quest for the perfect look. Joanne aspired to a different kind of beauty. An inner beauty that transcended time. An eternal beauty that is greatly valued in God’s sight. She sought a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Today we grieve our loss, but we rejoice in Joanne’s gain. Today Joanne is reunited with the God she loved, being transformed into the image of Christ. Today as Joanne gazes into her Saviors face, she has never been more beautiful.