Hello, friends!
A few days ago, Auntie Serena Lam passed away. Most of you don't know Auntie Serena and to be honest, when I look back, I'm not sure that I knew her super well either. I don't know how old she was when she died. I remember her and Uncle Paul being in the jewelry business but I would be wrong about that one. I was informed, but not intimately so, about her health issues. It'd been months since I last spoke to her in person.
Still, when I heard that Auntie Serena had passed, I felt a deep sense of loss and a need to really mourn. I'm not a really emotional guy, so this struck me as odd. What was it about Auntie Serena? As I spent some time reflecting, I realized that Auntie Serena played a subtle but important role in many of the most important developments of my life. Through those times, she actually revealed to me a lot more about who she was than I realized at the time.
I don't remember the exact date, so I can't tell you if it was before or after Uncle Paul (Auntie Serena's husband) died, but at some point, Auntie Serena gave me his old golf clubs. It was a small gesture and maybe she just wanted them out of the house but it was a big deal to me. They were old clubs but they were a matching set and they were MY clubs. I don't use them anymore but it was having my own set of matching clubs that got me a little more interested in golf, to the point that up until Ezra was born, it was a very regular part of my week.
Auntie Serena's house was always open and was always the place for the after party. When my dad and Auntie Serena were both on staff for the church youth group, every beach party was followed by an after party and Auntie Serena's. It wasn't just those parties though. There were many other youth group sleepovers and pool parties and things of that nature that happened at Auntie Serena's. I don't think I pulled my FIRST all-nighter at Auntie Serena's but I know there were more than a few. I had my first significant conversation with my first girlfriend at Auntie Serena's. I made connections with some of my friends that last to this day. Auntie Serena's house will always be a place of hospitality and good memories.
When I first started my journey with InterVarsity, I had to raise what felt like an impossible amount of money. In my second year, I moved from an internship to being full-time staff and that number DOUBLED. I was confident that the money could be raised but also knew that it was going to take a lot of work. When I switched to full-time, Auntie Serena was one of my very first "no-ask" donors. I just looked at my account and there was a donation. It showed up the month after that too. And it was there the month after that. For the past 9 years, Auntie Serena has been a financial ministry partner. We never had an appointment. She just started giving.
But it wasn't just giving. She was also an advocate for me on the church mission committee. Whenever I came back to report on the things that God was doing in Missouri, I knew that I could count on her smiling and supportive face being there. I knew that I was always going to have an advocate and someone who loved and supported me in the room.
What does this say about Auntie Serena? It says that she was someone who was kind, generous, loving, giving, and serving. I don't know anyone who ever had a bad thing to say about her. She lived her life with grace, poise, and love. She will be surely missed.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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