So I have this watch. It’s a pink-faced Fossil that was gifted to me. At a memorial service. For a friend I had only met maybe eight months before. A friend who I had no idea how much she would impact my life, even in death.

Marleea and I met at a HipHop aerobics class at a local gym while I was living in San Diego. I had been going for a couple of weeks and had noticed a Shoei with a pink butterfly on the side of it. There was a girl in this hiphop class that rode a motorcycle.

I happened to catch her one night as she was gearing up and introduced myself. Though I don’t even really remembering the conversation, except that she was heading to bike night in Mira Mesa, and that I should go home to get my bike so I could meet up with her. I took her up on the offer.

Marleea had the kind of personality that made anyone like her as soon as they met her. She was full of Light, always smiling, laughing and just made you feel good to be around her. We were instant friends, workout partners and riding buddies. Every Monday and Thursday night, we would meet at hip hop class. On Thursdays after class, we would ride over to Starbucks for bike night and go on a short little night ride.

She texted me one Friday evening, asking if I wanted to ride out to Julian with some mutual friends Saturday morning. I had already had plans to go dancing with a friend in Carlsbad and planned to stay at her house overnight. So I passed and promised I’d be at hiphop on Monday.

Saturday afternoon, I received a text from one of the friends on the ride. She had crashed on their way home, and passed away in his arms.

Over the next five years following Marleea’s death, I fell into depression. Not so much because of Marleea’s death, but because of other factors, namely failed relationships and loneliness. I had moved back to Oceanside and was searching for something but didn’t know what.

Marleea had attended a popular mega-church in San Diego. A friend of mine mentioned to me that they were opening a satellite campus near me, and because it was so popular, I thought I’d go check it out.

I attended that church for four or five weeks, bawling my eyes out in the back of the sanctuary by myself. Four or five weeks listening to the pastor talk about how much Jesus loves us and wants to save us from the bondage of sin and evil. I told God, “if You’re real, take this pain and this baggage from me, and I will follow You and do whatever You say for the rest of my life.”

It wasn’t until I got saved that I realized that the Light that was coming from Marleea was Jesus. It’s so clear to me now, looking back, how much she loved Him and allowed Him to use her for His glory.

Marleea and I didn’t have a deep, close relationship. We were good friends, riding buddies, dance partners. But I’m not sure where I would be today, if I hadn’t met her and seen her Light. It was because of her that I decided to check out this specific church that was teaching on this specific message at the specific time I was at my lowest and ready to end my life.

So I have this watch. Similar to this one. It’s the same watch Marleea wore every day, and one that I mentally noted was a cute watch. I’m not sure what her husband’s intention was when he handed it to me. Actually, he handed a few of them out to different people. But I think of her literally every time I wear it. Her smile, her laugh, her light, her ability to make everyone around her happy just to be around. And it inspires me to do the same. I fail most of the time, but I hope one day God will be able to use me in the same way He used her to make such a huge impact on someone’s life. To SAVE someone’s life. To bring someone TO life in Christ.

So I leave you with this, my friends. Be encouraged and keep up the good work; most of us will never know the impact we make on other people; be it friends, acquaintances or strangers. I pray we would be the light to those who are hurting and those who need someone just to make their day a little bit brighter. And I pray we do that by the power of the Spirit, and that by our actions and being able to show love to one another, that we would bring glory to our Father’s name.

(PS) After I finished writing this blog, I went through my Facebook memories. On this day, 8 years ago, a friend posted photos of me at the bike night we hung out at. A second memory, I made a post about how my mother had given me a rosary bracelet after Marleea’s death. Thank you for the little things, Jesus.