Tribute to Dixie Pechacek

She was one in a million. That’s the way I’ll always think of Dixie Pechacek.

Approximately two million people fled from Egypt all those years ago, yet only Joshua and Caleb crossed over into Canaan, God’s Promised Land. Two men in two million people, that’s one in a million. I mean no disrespect to Joshua or Caleb, but Dixie would have been one, too. She was one whose eyes didn’t leave God’s presence. She was one whose faith didn’t waver. And she was one whose actions didn’t contradict her beliefs. Dixie was faithful to God.

The last time I talked to her was at Bible study. She was feeling poorly and had yet another doctor’s appointment the following day. I remember saying, “Dixie. You’re going to have a huge mansion in heaven.” Sounds silly, really, but I didn’t have words big enough to tell Dixie how special she was to me.  

This past week at Bible study, we all prayed for her, and I’m sure the thought of her was on everyone’s heart during the lesson. God took his people out of Egypt to bring them into the Promised Land, and now God has brought Dixie out of sickness and into the dazzling beauty of His Promised Presence.  

She’s there now, anyway. With Jesus, that is. “Dancing in heaven,” as our friend Raini said. Hanging out with Moses, for crying out loud! Completely and irreversibly and joyfully free of diabetes and cancer and everything else that her fragile earthly body endured during this dot of a life on earth. 

She once told me that she thought I’d be a good Bible teacher, but I needed more life experiences. “Are you kidding me?” I thought to myself. “Do you know what I’ve been through already?” But she was right. I had a lot to learn. Several decades later, when she came to a Bible study I was teaching about heaven, I was humbled and thought once more, “Are you kidding me?” But this time for a different reason. “Oh LORD, Dixie needs to be teaching this thing, not me.” But I don’t think she would have listened to my protest. She had faith in God, not in me.

“G-R-A-C-E is God’s Righteousness at Christ’s Expense,” I hear her soft voice saying. I loved listening to her teach and talk about the LORD. If peace was a voice, it would have been Dixie’s, soothing and gentle, yet bold and sure. Somehow the voice of Jesus joined with hers when she read from His Word. I always listened, mesmerized.  

And I’m only one.

Yes, I’m only one in a million.

No doubt about it, I’m only one in a million who loved her dearly. 

Thank you, LORD, for sharing your sweet servant Dixie with us.

Amen.