I’m sitting by my comforting, roaring fireplace this solemn Sunday morning, reflecting on the life of my friend, fellow writer, and sister in Christ. Shana Schutte is one of those rare people I’ve met in my lifetime whose effervescent spirit bubbles over with the joy of the Lord. When I met Shana 15 years ago, she wrote for a ministry called Blueprint for Life. As I got to know Shana, I discovered that her way of living was undoubtedly a blueprint for life. Why? What made this beautiful woman’s life so attractive? Here are three qualities of her life that I loved, admired, and cherished in Shana: her love, what defined her, and her generous spirit.
Her genuine love for her Savior and Lord Jesus Christ was the foundation of her being. Every conversation I had with Shana seemed animated by her sparkling eyes filled with joy and an engaging body language energized by the Holy Spirit’s love. Being in Shana’s presence felt like being in the presence of Jesus—unhurried, unruffled, and solely focused on how she could bless me. I recall a phone conversation during her struggle with cancer; before I could pray for her, she insisted on praying for me. That’s Shana. Since she was cherished by her Lord, she loved deeply in service to Him. Love was her motivation for living and what she anticipated in dying.
Another attractive quality of Shana‘s life was her disciplined sense of identity as a beloved daughter of the King, in whom He was well pleased. Cancer did not define her. Depression did not define her. Pain did not define her. Financial challenges did not define her. The uncertainty of life did not define her. What defined my sister in Christ was how her heavenly Father defined her—as His beloved daughter. She lived from her belovedness, which brought her a peace and contentment that surpassed all human understanding. She truly believed that her Father in heaven held her in His hand and would provide her with His good gifts, exactly what she needed and precisely when she needed them. His gifts of grace, mercy, and forgiveness were always available and accessible to her heart, mind, soul, and body. Shana knew who she was and whose she was. She was rested and renewed in the arms of Jesus.
One last quality of Shana was her generous spirit. She was always on the lookout to give and serve in Jesus’ name. Her life was an open book on being pure and content as a single adult for many years. Her verbal and written words on this topic have blessed hundreds of women. Only when we reach heaven will we truly celebrate the fullness of her generous investment in thousands of lives. A few months before her graduation to heaven, my wife Rita and I opened a package containing a beautiful floral painting from Shana. The brilliant blues and yellows exploded from the canvas, wrapping us in arms of love. We laughed, cried, and did a happy dance because of the generous love from the one who needed love the most. That’s Shana: giving when she needed to receive, loving when she needed love, and laughing and crying with you when she needed you to laugh and cry with her. She was ever generous because she always experienced God’s abundant generosity.
What will I miss most about Shanna? Her safe presence and powerful prayers. Her relentless love. Her gifted storytelling. What will you miss? As you reflect, I grieve with you in our loss and celebrate with you a beautiful life well-lived. And I grieve with her husband Clark, who loved and served Shana like Jesus. I am one of thousands who love Shana Schutte Miller. Since her return home, the quality of heaven has been elevated, and the quality of earth has lessened because one little girl from Idaho with big faith, full of the Holy Spirit, was and will be a burning light of God’s love!
Here’s a link to Shana’s obituary. In her honor, we will post her most beloved and popular devotional writings on Tuesdays for the next 12 weeks.
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