First of all, my deepest condolences to Sonya and Charles, Audrey's parents, for their loss. No parent should have to bury their child, and no words can mend their broken heart. I only pray that God will grant them His supernatural peace, comfort, and strength as they pick up the pieces and press on.
At the time of writing, I’m still wrestling with the sudden passing of our friend, student, and daughter, Audrey Kim. The news of her passing was surreal, as if it were part of a bad dream. But, once the reality set in, my wife and I cried and cried. Yes, we have the hope and confidence of resurrection, that one day we’ll see her again, and that she is in the presence of our loving Father now, but we as human beings grieve when our loved ones leave us. It's a natural reaction. We obviously have special memories of Audrey. She is what is known in the NCA community as a “Legacy Student,” a student who attended New Covenant Academy for all 12 years, from Grade 1 through 12. So, we watched her grow up right before our eyes. We were sort of like her parents at school. That was a special privilege.
We also reminisced about how cute and delightful she was as a child, and how she blossomed and became a beautiful young lady. We recalled her participation in the handbell choir, how we went on the Mexico mission trip together, how we devoured countless street tacos, and how her dad Charles chronicled the trip as the photographer.
We also talked about how smart and intelligent she was. I actually thumbed through her old textbooks which were meticulously highlighted and noted. That showed how diligent she was, and her achievement culminated in matriculation to USC. That’s not too shabby, if you ask me. We also talked a LOT about what a talented dancer she was, and how pleasantly surprised we were when, one day, we watched her perform at a school event. She could not have been more than a middle schooler, but boy, she could dance. She later applied that talent well in cheerleading.
All in all, Mrs. Song and I laughed and cried as we remembered her. We were proud of Audrey, thankful for the memory, and we dearly miss her.
As all the students at NCA were--and are--Audrey was a special gift to us and to the rest of the school community. That’s why, in trying times like this, all the more we wonder why God would allow this tragedy, why He would take Audrey home so suddenly. In a nutshell, we are questioning God’s goodness and omnipotence. But, I’d tell you with passion and conviction that God is good, all the time. He is almighty, and we’re not. He is the author and the finisher of our faith and earthly journey. He is the Alpha and Omega. He knows what He's doing. As such, we can be confident that Audrey's return to the bosom of Jesus is accomplished according to His sovereign plan and perfect timing. I am comforted by that truth.
Earlier, I mentioned that she was a special gift to us. And, I submit to you that today, she is still “gifting” us with the Gospel message, that while life is short and full of sorrows, we can believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior so that we can be reconciled unto God who guarantees eternal life. Audrey reminds all of us that, along the journey, we will meet and build relations with wonderful people. She is speaking loudly to us to never forget that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one can come to the Father except through Him. We must heed Audrey's call to faith.
I want to end this eulogy by saying a few words TO Audrey:
“Sweetie, thank you for the privilege of teaching, guiding, and serving you. I will cherish the memory of you in my heart. Of course, I wish you were still with us, and to have witnessed all that you’d accomplish for God’s kingdom here on earth. But God has you in the best place possible, which is in His presence. In that sense, I envy you!
Nonetheless, your mom and dad will miss you very much. Do them a favor by showing up in their dreams from time to time. Tell them you’re doing well. Show them how wonderful it is up in Heaven. That will comfort them more than anything else. We love you, Audrey, and we will see you in Heaven in due time.”
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