Frances Jeanine Carroll

Philippians 4:13 says: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” If we could pick a life verse for Jeanine, it would be this one. Jeanine was determined and sensitive, but private in her relationship with God. Jeanine committed her life to the Lord as a young child but, as we all know, there is growth “in God” that comes during life’s experiences. We also know there is a “bridge” we need to learn how to cross between the “I can do all things …” and “… through Christ” in order to experience the “strengthening” God promises. As a small child, Jeanine could not understand why she was not the oldest if her birthday came before Debbie’s, both in November. Did not her birthday on November 10th come before Debbie’s on November 22nd? Then her dad would send her down the street to Arico’s grocery to buy sodas for the family, and coming home with change, her dad would tease her about whether the amount of change was correct. Although this challenged her math skills, it did not keep her from working in jobs where she had to work with numbers, etc. As she grew into a young lady, it seemed there was nothing she would not conquer. When she and her mom bought a house, it would not be a move-in ready house, but a fixer upper. Most would have run from this opportunity, but Jeanine went at it full blast – learning what she did not know and fixing whatever needed to be fixed. She and her mom turned that house into a home full of warmth and character. After her accident twenty-four years ago, in which she began her journey as a paraplegic, Jeanine would not be deterred due to her new challenges in life. For example, Jeanine did not give up driving – but took to it with full force. When Debbie and Randy would visit, they would sit in the back seat of the van and pray as she was speeding down the freeway, in and out of the “sane” lane, but then always arriving safely at home (even if shaking some)! After her stroke, when she lost use of her right hand (she was right-handed), she immediately set out to use her left hand to feed herself without any help. It was “I can do it!” when offered help. Jeanine was also a person with a big heart. She was generous and took good care of her mother. You could also see Jeanine’s sensitive side when it came to animals. She had a love for her dogs – they were always “her babies.” Jeanine‘s determination carried her through her long journey as a paraplegic. Yes, there were difficult times and trying times with family, but she did not give up. We were not privy to her conversations with God – which at times, we are sure, were quite spirited. She chose to face her struggles as she knew how to. She did cry though when in pain. One day recently we read to her promises of heaven and God’s love. Her response was – “I know that!” In that we knew that in the solitude of time and in her conversations with God, that God had been faithful in their “private” conversations, and that Jeanine knew God’s love and God’s hand in her life – that she learned to cross that bridge from “I can do all things …” over to “… through Christ who strengthens me.”