Sermon for Payton Hand's Funeral

Payton's Obituary:

Payton Nichole Hand, 12, of Elk Point, South Dakota, left footprints in our hearts when she earned her angel wings November 12, 2012, at the Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Payton was a fighter until the end during her long and courageous battle with leukemia.

Payton was born September 26, 2000, in Sioux City, Iowa, to Donald Hand and Amy (Wohler) Koeppe. Payton was a vivacious young girl that loved life every day, no matter what challenges the day brought. She always had an infectious smile on her face as well as a silly joke to share.

Payton’s heart was always full of love, especially when it came to her love for animals, friends, and family. She attended school in Vermillion, South Dakota, and was well known in the Elk Point-Jefferson schools where her brothers attended after her diagnosis.

Payton is survived by her mother, Amy Koeppe, of Elk Point; her father, Donald Hand of Cherokee, Iowa; her step-father, James Koeppe of Elk Point; her brothers, Austin Hand and Chance Koeppe of Elk Point; her nana and papa, Doug and Tammy Wohler of Elk Point; her grandparents, Dawne and Wes Coffee of Richland, South Dakota; and Scott and Cindy Koeppe of South Sioux City, Nebraska; her great-aunt, Lori Jerred of Vermillion; and her great-grandma, Betty Spicer of Sioux Falls.

Payton is joining heaven with her great-grandpa, Lee Spicer; her great-great-grandma, Tootie Spicer; her great-great-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Polchow; her great-uncle, Lorin Wohler; her aunt, Kimmy Koeppe; and her great-grandma, Rose Isom. 

Sermon:

Text: Psalm 30:1-5, 11-12

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who weeps with us.

I hate that Payton was taken from us so soon. I hate that this happened to her. I hate that in our world a cruel thing like cancer exists and that it affects so many of us, and unfortunately so many times in such a horrific way. I hate that we will never see Payton growing up.

         And yet at the same time I rejoice. I rejoice that we had 12 years with Payton. I rejoice that we witnessed her joy-filled life. I rejoice that we saw hugs, and hamster smiles, and pets, and laughter. I rejoice that Payton’s memory will never be taken from us.

         And I mourn, we mourn and grieve. We grieve the loss of Payton, and we grieve all the things that will now never be. Confirmation, Graduation, heading off to college, meeting the first serious boyfriend, realizing he’s a jerk, and wonderfully meeting the second one. We will grieve the loss of wedding bells, and grandchildren’s cries. We will grieve missing out on who Payton could have been.

         And I give thanks. We should give thanks. We give thanks for who Payton was. From baby propped up on a pillow making her look like she has angel wings, to her love of guinea pigs, and cats, and dogs, and every animal. We give thanks for her gift of looking out for others before herself. We give thanks for her joyful manner, her ability to be optimistic in virtually every situation. We give thanks for turkey chins, and Halloween costumes, and drawings and colorings which cover our fridges and fill our frames, one of which I have in my office. We give thanks for who Payton was and the full life we enjoyed with her so briefly.

         Payton may have left us physically but she will never leave our memories. She will never truly be gone from us. Through who we are, who she changed us to be, she will always live. We will move forward, continuing to mourn, but now we are filled with Payton, we are advocates for cancer research, we are people who look out for others before ourselves, we are people who care for God creatures, we are people who look for the positive in all situations. We have become Payton’s Peeps, which I love so much.

         And God’s promise to us is that Payton no longer hurts. She no longer struggles, she rests in Christ’s arms, her arms full of her animal friends. Lexi and Sam play with her, Grandpa Lee watches over her. Countless other grandparents, friends and family who we miss so much as well, welcome her home. God promises to join us together again, and on the last day resurrect us in a resurrection like Christ Jesus and restore us to the new earth, the new Jerusalem. And on that day she will run with you Austin and Chance. She will give you big old hugs. She will laugh with her mother and they do turkey chins at nana. She will play with her cousins, and friends, and family. We will laugh and play, all together. That is God’s promise to us.

         But, God’s promise is also for us here and now. God’s promise is that we don’t walk this dark road of mourning alone. That God walks with us. That God’s feet step beside our feet. That God weeps with us. God offers us a shoulder to cry on, and arm to support us, a bosom to be gathered into. God promises that in our deep pain this day and the days to come, we will always have a place to turn to. We see that place of comfort in our prayer, and in our meditation. But, God’s presence is also found in your neighbors, friends, and family. It is found in this very room, in all these people who join you today in grieving for Payton and who offer their shoulders to cry on, and the arms to give comfort. You are not alone. God walks with you. We walk with you. God loves you. We love you.

Payton was a prophet, not in what she said but in who she was. She was joy. To be around Payton was to be around joy.

We are too serious sometimes, and I think that was God’s message to us through Payton; to live lives of joy versus sadness; Lives of dancing versus mourning. To look beyond the pain and suffering of our losing Payton to God’s love and grace in giving her to us for these 12 years.

         We of course will be sad, and mournful, and pained and hurt. And our world will seem to be falling down around us. But, God’s message to us through Payton is that joy will overcome.

         That God will turn our mourning into dancing. God will overcome death. That is how God wins, because despite Payton’s death, we will never forget her, and who she is will never leave us, and in Christ God has promised that her death here is not the end.

         God’s promise is that our mourning will fade, we will remember not Payton’s pain and suffering, but her grace and mercy, her love and compassion. And God will instill those gifts into ourselves and we will live for Payton. We will go into this world and make sure it does not forget who Payton was and is. We will go into the world to tell the world of Payton, and of her savior who now holds her in his arms.

Let us pray,

God of life, comfort and peace. Hold us close this day. Be with us now and the days and months ahead. Give us comfort when we need it, peace when we are overwhelmed, grace when we feel like failures. Walk with us, weep with us. Send your spirit into this place that we may know your presence and feel your arms protecting us.