Haley's Award

This past week we have all been really busy preparing for the final Bible Quiz of the Regular Season. Haley has been working at memorizing Hebrews, I and II Peter, while Matt and I have been working on getting the question ready for competition. I also was keeping a huge secret...Haley earned the biggest/highest award in quizzing. It is an award that is voted on by the adults. I had known she was receiving the award for about a month and managed not to let her find out!  The award is called the Elizabeth Wall Spirit of Quizzing.  I usually present the award but knew I would cry so ask someone else to present it. Haley also placed 6th out of 29 this year and will be competing at the next level the end of April. I am copying below the description of the Award and a copy of pictures. I am so proud of Haley!!!!

 

The Elizabeth Wall Spirit of Quizzing Award

This award is subjective and based on majority vote (one per church and one collective from the officials).  The award should primarily be given to someone who is an encourager to all quizzers and really captures the true intent of quizzing.  While this award does not require any sort of minimum score it should be someone who has not neglected their quizzing studies.

In 2004 the Spirit of Quizzing Award was renamed The Elizabeth Wall Spirit of Quizzing Award in honor of that years recipient.  Elizabeth, who was born with the genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis (CF), suffered continuous lung infections causing her to be physically frail.  Yet in her spirit Elizabeth triumphed over her disease with grace and strength.

Her golden red hair always drew people’s attention, but it was Elizabeth’s beaming grin and gentle, caring ways that made everyone she met her friend.  Some people thought she might be spoiled by all the attention CF brought her, but it didn’t work that way.  The more Elizabeth was loved, the more she loved back.  She had every reason to want people to take care of her, but her delight was in caring for others.  Her joy was found in simple things:  reading books aloud and playing games as a family, making homemade gifts and cards for friends, singing at every opportunity.  Elizabeth was grateful for each blessing in her life. 

One of those blessings was participating in Western Piedmont Bible Quizzing for three years.  It wasn’t easy.   Visitors found Elizabeth on several occasions making her special pictograph cards and memorizing her verses between treatments in the hospital.  She wasn’t ever a top quizzer, but she faithfully did her best.   Jumping was a challenge and it was a thrill for her to get a couple of questions per quiz day.   Even when she had to quiz with oxygen and IV antibiotics dripping she had a blast.  (Incredibly, Elizabeth had no self-consciousness about her.)  It was her desire to quiz that kept her team going through the early building years.

All this and more was true not because Elizabeth was different from the rest of us.  It was the result of God’s grace at work in her willing heart.  He truly means it when He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  This was Elizabeth’s testimony.

Elizabeth was ready for Heaven.  Through her suffering she had learned to trust her Savior.  Two weeks after her fifteenth birthday, the days that God ordained for Elizabeth before she was even born were complete and she was carried by her Good Shepherd into the throne room of her Heavenly Father.