Death of a Great Soul - Jane Kelly Durham

Jane Kelly Durham

Last night, GOD called back to Himself a Great Soul, Jane Kelly Durham. Janie was a true saint: courageous, generous, smart, sweet, strong, ---- I could literally go on for paragraph after paragraph, but how do you describe a real life guts and glory saint?!

Of all her admirable traits, and as I said above, these could fill a book, but of them all, the three most outstanding to me were:

1 - Her LOVE: Jane loved everyone as GOD loves them, and would forgive anything a bazillion times over if only asked for with a sincere heart. There was no pretense with Jane, no pre-requests, no holds barred. Jane loved with her whole heart, without compromise, without limits.

2 - Her COURAGE: Jane suffered horrendously, both in her personal life (the death of her husband and most of her family are but a few of the examples) and physically as she battled the ravages of Cancer (as well as the cancer treatments and surgeries) that slowly ate her alive over years of struggle and caused her unspeakable pain. Yet through it all, Jane not only kept her own spirits up, but was a daily inspiration through snail mails, emails, phone calls, and Facebook to anyone suffering anything in anyway. She offered them her shoulder to cry on; a listening and non-judgemental ear to hear their cries; her heart to love them; and her faith to remind all who came to her that GOD was still in control, that He loved them, He would never abandoned them, and someday He would make everything all right.

3 - Her HUMOR: Jane had the earthy humor of a true saint in the ink of others such as St. Padre Pio, St. Augustine, St. Teresa, G.K. Chesterson (sp?), and Mother Theresa of Calcutta. She was an ardant subscriber to the John Wayne philosphy: "Don't let the bastards get you down!" True Victim Soul and Prayer Warrior that she was, Janie could find the humor in anything if it was to be found, and if not, she would laugh at her own reaction to whatever circumstance. She could do this because her unshakeable Christian faith assured her that GOD loves us and He is in control. All we have to do is sit back, let go, and let GOD.

Now let me beg you all for your prayers; prayers not for Jane --- Jane is in Heaven enjoying eternal life with our LORD and Savior JESUS Christ. Of that fact I have absolutely no doubt. But if you could spare some prayers, please pray for Jane's family --- especially her teenage daughter, who despite Jane's absence from her life because of illness and because Jane had to spend the last several years of her life in a hospital instead of at home with her daughter, still loved her "mums" and appreciated the brief moments of joy they had left --- now that sweet child faces the world alone without father or mother. May GOD have mercy and keep her ever close to His Heart.

Please pray for all those faceless people who daily looked to Jane for comfort, for courage, for hope, for inspiration, and humor, especially her Facebook fans.

Finally, please pray for her friends... me, among them. There are no good words at the moment to describe to you the devastating loss that Jane's passing rips into my heart. Hearing her thick Irish accent on the phone, her letters, her great humor, the pictures, cartoons, posters --- hilarious and wonderful all! The thought of never again having Jane in my life, this side of Heaven, is frankly, unbearable. That's all I can say about it right now.

Oh GOD! The world has gotten so much darker, and the pain --- all pain --- so much worse now. But I do thank You, LORD GOD Almighty, that our precious Jane is with You, and that all her earthly struggles and pain are OVER!!! Praise to You, LORD JESUS Christ that our Jane lives victorious and in eternal joy with You. Thank You, merciful GOD, that death did not have the final say. Thank You, GOD, that Jane is free!

~Written by her dear friend, Linny O'Hara~