Tribute to Kelly Nelon Clark...Gone But Definitely Not Forgotten

Long post but my tribute to Kelly Nelon Clark (as posted on FB with tons of pics)...gone but definitely not forgotten.
My full post is in comments because it's too long for the description area.

I'm a writer and this is a hard thing to write about. My sweet friend of 30+ years was killed in a plane crash yesterday. To say I can't believe they are all gone is an understatement but I also know my grief is nothing compared to what the families of Kelly and Jason Clark, Amber and Nathan Kistler, Larry and Melissa Haynie and Melodi Hodges, are experiencing at this time and I also think of the sweet Karen Peck and New River and Janet Paschal because their early days of Southern Gospel music were being a part of the Rex Nelon Singers and having the great privilege of knowing and befriending Kelly. I met Kelly in '91 or '92.
Through the years I experienced some really severe, difficult and sometimes really dark trials and from age 20 forward, Kelly was cheering me on. She saw me through my struggle with Anorexia, loss of friends and my mother. Any time I was having a difficult time Kelly would say, "I already know the answer, but what would you like me to sing for you?" And my answer was always, "I'll Talk To the Father (For You)" and if I had experienced the loss of a friend or family member, I always knew Kelly's song "Christians Never Say Goodbye" was going to encourage me. When my mother passed away 12 days before Amber's birthday, Kelly went online and signed the condolence book so that my family could see the message she would otherwise be sharing with only me.

Another memory was during my cross-stitching days. Kelly told me she would love to have one of my prints, so I led her to believe I was cross-stitching her precious Doxie, Sam, but when I presented her with the gift, she came face-to-face with her father. I had x-stitched Rex Nelon (pics in video). She screamed and Jason came running because he thought that we may have seen a spider or mouse. It was her seeing the image of her father looking back at her. Autumn, I hope you will keep that picture. Your mother asked if I would x-stitch 2 more pictures of her so that she could give one to Amber and one to you. I completed one and then "retired" from x-stitching as osteo-arthritis began to set into my joints and I feared starting a project and not being able to finish it. Just Wednesday, I was messaging Kelly and told her I needed to get that print framed and she could decide which daughter to give it to. Well, God made that decision, Autumn, I will get the print framed and give it to you (pics in video).

I have been looking through pictures and personal videos since about 8:30 this morning. I know I can go to YouTube and see The Nelons but it won't be the same. I'm trying to process it all and I just keep telling myself that what we saw as a tragic accident didn't take God by surprise because NOTHING ever takes Him by surprise, EVER! I can't seem to make sense of it all because all I can do is think about how much I miss this sweet lady that I had the honor of calling friend. And I tell myself it's okay to not understand because my frail human nature cannot always comprehend the ways of God. I just have to trust my Father's plan even when I cannot understand and believe that things over my head are truly under His feet. As a Christian, I have that wonderful blessed assurance of being reunited with them all in the sweet by and by and I will recall the words to Kelly's song, Christians Never Say Goodbye...it's just until we meet again and if you want to shed tears of laughter instead of sorrow, just head over to YouTube and watch some SamCam videos, especially Mama Has Stinky Feet and Do You Think They Think We're Homeless (returning Target shopping cart). Several years ago before Sam died, I went through all the videos and made one playlist, so as I told my friends and family, I'm going to turn the TV on, turn on YouTube and pull up the SamCam playlist and just smile and laugh and I'll look at the Talking Tom videos that I sent to Kelly and laugh some more. Is my heart breaking, yes, but I also know that weeping endures for the night and joy comes in the morning. To everyone who had the joy of knowing and loving Kelly and Jason Clark, Amber and Nathan Kistler, Larry and Melissa Haynie and Melodi Hodges, my thoughts and prayers are with you and for those who know me...my favorite number is 7 and there were 7 passengers on board. 7 represents perfection and completion in the Bible. These 7 saints' work on earth has ended and their faith has become sight as they are in the presence of the Lord. The number 8 in the Bible represents new beginnings...Autumn was the 4th member of The Nelons and only God knows why she was not the 8th person on the plane but she was spared and just over the horizon awaits new beginnings for Autumn, Jamie and baby Rhett...May God give you the peace that truly does pass man's understanding.