Let me share with you a story—a real story, though the name has been changed.
Tori came to Lighthouse one Sunday—tough, loud, and unapologetically urban, swearing like a trooper but with a heart of gold.
A rough diamond, always on the lookout for a roll-up, yet just as eager to help clean up after the Sunday meal.
From her teen years, Tori had been alcohol-dependent, using it to ease her pain and feel normal. Despite her hardened exterior, she had a profound, mystical encounter with love—a love so deep it melted her heart and brought healing to her wounded soul. She recognized this love as the person and presence of Jesus, and her enthusiasm for Him was undeniable. She even spent several months out of the city at a residential Christian recovery center, living drug- and alcohol-free in community. But she missed her Lighthouse family and returned to Leeds.
One evening during a worship service at St George’s Church, Tori—a ball of energy, full of life and a reflection of God's image—brought unexpected joy to the lighthouse pastors. Seeing that the worship leader was attractive, she let out a wolf whistle—embarrassing , yes, and not something you’re supposed to do in church, but it was a moment of pure Tori, bringing her unique, working-class vibe into a more middle-class, polished setting.
Tori once assisted the Lighthouse mission priest in serving communion. He remembers it well: Tori, in her signature trackies, distributed the non alchoholic wine with utter seriousness, saying, "The blood of Christ." She knew deep down that her sins were forgiven and that Jesus was her Savior, her friend, and, in the words of her favorite song, her "cornerstone."
What no one knew was that Tori had underlying health conditions. One night, in her supervised hostel, she went to bed and didn’t wake up.
At Tori’s memorial, the church was packed as we gathered to pay our respects to the brash but beautiful soul we were privileged to call our friend.
One day, all tears will be wiped away, and death will be no more. There will be a glorious Lighthouse reunion. Tori, standing alongside other Lighthouse family members who left us too soon, will join the heavenly throng. And if on that day we hear a wolf whistle, perhaps it will be Tori.
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