Courage

With love to Sara, our Gitzen Girl

by 55 Comments  •  
Download

A precious friend, writer and beloved member of the (in)courage community, Sara {Gitzen Girl} Frankl went home to be with Jesus last night. We’ve all watched the valiant race she ran and the unwavering testimony she left behind for her Lord and Savior.

We are humbled by her courage and inspired by her story.

And, in the words of one of her friends, in this place where sorrow and joy stand hand in hand we blow kisses to our sweet Sara knowing, knowing, knowing full well,

“She will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown her head.  Gladness and joy will overtake her; and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”  Isaiah 35:10.

We love you Sara – thank you for the example you set us and the joy you taught us.

We look forward to the day when we will all meet again. We hold onto that hope. And we run with faith behind you.

Leave a Comment
Download
Subscribe to daily words
of courage & hope.
Lisa-Jo Baker
About the Author

Lisa-Jo is the best-selling author of Never Unfriended and Surprised by Motherhood. Her newest book, The Middle Matters: Why That (Extra)Ordinary Life Looks Really Good on You invites us to get a good look at our middles and gives us permission to embrace them.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
Recent Posts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I was ALWAYS lifted and inspired by her posts. She will be missed. These things are always bitter sweet. There is sadness for our loss, but joy for her freedom.

  3. Beautifully written Lisa-Jo. Sara was a gift, she and her blog. I will miss her written words and thank God for my faith that comforts me in my sadness knowing that she is free from pain in her earthly body and her soul soars to Him.

  4. God has used a girl I have never even spoken to or met to encourage and spur me on in faith. The reaches of her legacy will never be fully known, as is so true of a heart sold out to Christ. I, a stranger, thank God for her life, and praise Him in her finishing so well. Thank-you sharing her beauty with us.

  5. I was so wondering when you girls would write about her and her journey to Heaven that took almost 2 weeks. I am glad you girls did!! I wonder in the future if you can repeat her entries to kind of honor her.

  6. That was beautiful. I read this morning about her death and although I was sad, I decided to follow her example and chose joy because she is now with her Dad. I learned about Sarafor the first time two weeks ago and since then her example has touched my life in ways that are undescribable. Thank you for this beautiful post.

  9. Thanks for being such a beautiful inspiration to my heart, Sara =]. You will be dearly missed! Prayers & [[[[[[[HUGS]]]]]]] to the family & friends that will find it so hard without you. I can picture you now in heaven pain free and walking with Jesus =]

  10. I discovered Sara’s blog from your website and was so glad that I did. Although I did not know her personally, her story is such an inspiration. God works in many ways to encourage and inspire us. Thank you, Sara for the inspiration your life has given to many people.

  11. she had so much (in) courage ment for all of us. Always looked forward to her writings with you all. Then one day I found her blog site. Wow!! Always read it just so I could be reminded my problems were small compare to hers. Will miss her a lot (as I am sure everyone else will).

  14. I’ll be praying for comfort and joy for everyone that knew her well. It is a very bittersweet moment. She will be missed by so many…

  15. What a precious person she is. She dealt with her difficult life here with a sense of humor and joy. I want to grow up and be like her. So grateful she’s Home with Jesus and her dad.

  16. I just came upon Sara’s blog about a week ago. Her example of courage, joy, encouragement and love of God put me to shame. I am humbled and vow to be a better person. My complaints are imcomparable to what Sara went through but she showed me what God wants out of all of us. Thank you Sara for your example of true love of God and for your community. Rejoice Sara!

  17. Beautiful words for a beautiful soul. We can never know this side of heaven the number of hearts she has touched, but I know it will be many. I can just see her singing and dancing. Prayers for her family including her (in)courage family. She is so missed. We will see her again. Yes, we will see her again.

  20. This was a lovely tribute to Sara. Thank you, Lisa-Jo. And thank you, (in)courage writers and readers for welcoming Sara so warmly here and for loving her so well. She was a blessing to many and will be greatly missed. I can’t wait to meet her in Heaven one day.

    • thank you for this word from the Word….It meant a lot to me. I was “friends” with Sara although we never met in person…I’ve read her blog for the past three years and feel like she is my sister as her life has paralleled mine in many ways. Our history was similar; Her sickness was similar to mine, although a little more advanced; her end may well be mine…and I am heading to the same place as Sara is now. We traded emails and chats and now there is a gaping hole in my life that she once occupied. But I rejoice that she is now healed and whole and rejoicing in the arms of Jesus. “no one will take away your joy” Amen.

  22. Thank you, Lisa-Jo, for this lovely way of honoring Sara here and previously at your site.

    You and the (in)courage family know best, but I was wondering… could Dayspring perhaps help us all send a card basket to Sara’s family like we did when her dad passed? I don’t know them and wouldn’t want to overwhelm them in a bad way, but I would love to send them a sympathy card and that way the whole world wouldn’t see their address(es). Just a thought.

    Grace, comfort, and peace to her family and friends today in Jesus.

  25. What a gift it was to get to know Sara through her writing. My prayers are with her family and friends as they mourn. Rejoicing, Sara, that you are free and at home with Jesus.

  26. Sara, we love you! With tears of joy mixed with the ache of missing you. Thank you for pouring Jesus’ love with every breath you took. So thankful for your Jesus-fragranced friendship. I will see you again. Love you, Bonnie

  27. So sad, but so thankful for the life she lived! Thanks for this post & tribute to a genuine follower of Christ who showed us so much joy in the time she was here. Praying for her family.

  28. Sara was one of the first incourage writers that I followed to her blog, life, world. She has consistently inspired and worried me over the last 14 months or so. I am so blessed to have known her in a small way. And while I am sad that this world no longer has her brand of joy in it, I am grateful that all of us have the chance to carry it on, and I am delighting in the vision of her dancing up there, laughing, breathing, and still looking down to check on her friends and family, reminding us to Choose Joy.

    God bless you, incourage family. Thank you for bringing her words to so many that might not have known her otherwise. My love and prayers are with those closest to Sara today.

  30. Sara proved that God can use you in big ways no matter what your circumstances happen to be. I’m thankful that she is now rejoicing with our king, but she will be greatly missed here.

    • At the funeral we asked if they would be turning the blog into a book. There are plans to do something along those lines

  32. Oh what a mix of sorrow and peace~choosing Joy for this moment, knowing that Sarah is in glory, face to face with Christ. I can’t even imagine… What a life! We are blessed to have been inspired by such a sweet spirit for a season.

  33. Sara inspired and encouraged, through all of her pain and her good days. I’m beyond blessed to have read her writing, and I know I’ll read more. She is one of the biggest reminders for me to Choose Joy.
    Thanking God for Sara, her life, and her faith today, and holding on to 2 Corinthians 4:7, 16-18.

  34. My heart is broken because she will be missed… and yet full with faith knowing I will see her in heaven. Thank you Sara for the inspiration you were and will always be remember as…

  36. Yes…like so many others she taught us in whatever circumstance to Choose Joy. She spoke into our lives…. her written words will continue to touch.

    She is dancing w/ Jesus… worshipping at His feet!

    We will miss Sara so….

    Thank you for sharing…

  37. My husband had a verse on his heart last night and this morning:
    Psalm 116:15:
    “Precious in the sight of the LORD
    is the death of his saints.”

    He’s been working away from home, so he didn’t know I was grieving last night when I heard the news.

    I really felt it so fitting for Sara. I tweeted it and saw it later floating around Twitter and was so happy that others took up this verse as an anthem for Sara.

    My love and blessings to those who are also grieving and celebrating Sara. I wish I could have known her longer and as well as some of you.

  38. I’ve just gotten to know Sara & her life-words through her blog and FB. Her words are an amazing life-breathing legacy. I’ll be feasting on them for as long as her blog stays up. I have much to learn and catch up on. Thank You Lord, for Sara’s ongoing life.

  39. Yes, Sara had an amazing testimony and even in her death touched so many lives. She’ll have many stars in her crown. praying for her family and friends.

  40. So sorry for your loss.
    Joyfully rejoicing your friend loved Jesus and finding great comfort knowing she is whole and healed in heaven.
    Praying for comfort and peace for all who loved her.

  41. I’ve been following her journey and my heart is so moved. What an amazing reunion she must have had with daddy!

    Praying for her family and those who loved her most.

    choosing joy today.
    thinking of you sara!

  42. I’ve only recently discovered Sara’s story, and have been so moved and encouraged. When I saw the title of your post, I thought, “Oh, no!” So I can only imagine what you all must be feeling. Lord, give Sara a hug from all of us. Well done, girl.

  44. This morning, my daughter said, “I’m sad that Sara died. But she’s in heaven now. That’s good news, right?” Right, baby girl, that is Good News. I will miss Sara and am so sad for her family and friends. But I will always be thankful for the way she inspired, encouraged and loved so many – including me.

  45. Thank you for so gracefully teaching us how to say goodbye to dear friends in a healthy and whole manner. Gitzen girl has left quite a legacy for all of us.

  46. O Heavenly Father, We ask you to wrap Your Loving Arms around Sara’s family and friends. You are Jehovah Jireh, our provider, You are El Shaddai, our all-sufficient Heavenly Father, our Abba Daddy, You are everything we need. You are close to the brokenhearted and You save those who are crushed in spirit. Lord Jesus, help them to experience Your peace and sense Your presence in their lives. We know You respond to our sighs, our tears and our murmurs. We know You are near to all who call upon You; so near that You can feel breath when no voice can be heard for faintness. You are our Shepherd, we lack nothing. You make us lie down in green pastures, You lead us beside the still waters. You restore our souls. You lead us in the path of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for You are with us. You are Emmanuel, God with us. Your rod and Your Staff, your Holy Spirit and Your Word, they comfort us. You prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies. You anoint our heads with oil, overflowing with blessings. Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

  48. Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

  50. this is so hard to read – i cannot seem to shake my overwhelming saddness that Sara is gone – it seems so unfair – and I so now that we cannot look at things like this that way – its hard – i struggle to see how such a lovely gift could be taken away – i will miss her so much – i had just started getting to know her about 6 months ago – we traded a a few emails and comments and i was delighted she took the time and energy to write to me – someone she didnt know. Thank you sweet Sara – I miss you and will try hard to choose joy – always – in honor of you and for me!

    xoTiffany