Lazarus and the Little Angel: Remembering Faye

Growing up, I had a little cousin named Faye. Among all my cousins, there was something undeniably special about her. She was quiet, sweet, and different in a way I couldn’t quite describe.

Hi, I’m Tameka, and I want to share Faye’s story — a story that helped to shape the way I see life, faith, and grace. I must admit I didn’t truly get to know her until she became sick, and those moments would change the way I understood love, loss, and the fleeting beauty of childhood.

One day, Faye was playing on a backyard tire swing in her home in Papine St. Andrew, Jamaica., when she fell and hit her head. Rushed to the hospital, after a scan, doctors discovered a brain tumor that had been silently growing. Every Sunday after that, my mom would visit her—and I would go along.

My mom would bring her a chicken leg, her absolute favorite, and I would watch her enjoy it like it was the finest steak.

She could hold conversations like she was twenty years old, and at just five, she amazed everyone with her wisdom and infectious joy.

The thing that got me was how she loved God and the Word.

I mean, she knew the bible at such a young age and she loved the church.

If only the next story was her reality.

Biblical Story: Lazarus and the Echo of God’s Love

In John 11, we read about a man named Lazarus. He was a friend of Jesus who had fallen seriously ill and died. Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha, were heartbroken, and when Jesus arrived, Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.

Then Jesus did something remarkable. He called out to Lazarus, “Lazarus, come forth!” And, as the story tells us, Lazarus walked out of the tomb — alive, whole, and renewed.

But this miracle wasn’t only about bringing one man back to life. Jesus performed it so that those who witnessed it might believe in God’s power over death (John 11:42). Lazarus’s resurrection became a living testament to God’s authority and love, a sign that even in the face of death, there is hope, restoration, and new life.

Even if we had never heard this story before, we can imagine the astonishment of those standing at the tomb: grief turning to amazement, despair giving way to hope. When Jesus called out, it wasn’t just about Lazarus returning to life — it was about the message that would echo through generations: with God, death is never the final word, and every life, no matter how brief, can carry a message of faith and grace.

This rendition puts it so well.

A Life Cut Short, A Message That Endures

Faye passed on a Friday.

My mom had promised to bring her another chicken leg that Sunday, and she had been looking forward to it with such anticipation.

My heart shattered.

There was something divinely set apart about her—a light so radiant that even in her brief five and a half years, she left an indelible mark on everyone who knew her.

I remember her funeral vividly.

My uncle lovingly built her casket with his own hands, and my mom carefully lined it with soft padding.

I rode in the back of the pickup truck as we carried her to the church, my heart heavy with grief and love.

She was dressed beautifully in white, a beloved doll cradled in her arms, and 2 treasured chicken legs placed beside her—just as she would have wanted.

She looked as peaceful as if she were simply sleeping.

That same day, we shared the funeral service with another child, a little boy who had lived unloved and neglected.

My heart ached for him; a tiny heart-shaped glass was all that gave a window into his coffin.

Yet, I felt profound gratitude for Faye—for all the love she had received and the pure joy she had brought to our family.

All children deserve to be loved and cared for.

Folklore: Children as Heaven’s Messengers

Across cultures, there’s a beautiful understanding about children who leave us too soon.

In Christian tradition, these little ones are often called “borrowed angels”—precious souls lent to us briefly but meant to return to God’s embrace, leaving behind lessons of love and faith.

In Mexican tradition, Día de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels) honors children who die young as pure souls who become celestial messengers.

These children are believed to watch over their families from heaven, their innocence intact, their purpose fulfilled even in their brief earthly journey.

In many Caribbean cultures, there’s a belief that children who shine with unusual brightness are touched by the divine—that their extraordinary sweetness and wisdom signal they belong more to heaven than to earth. Faye embodied this perfectly.

A Different Kind of Resurrection

For years after losing Faye, whenever I encountered a child with that same special spark, I found myself praying more fervently for them. Watching my own daughter pass the age of six brought profound relief and thanksgiving, as memories of how fragile such brilliance can be still lingered in my heart.

I often think of Lazarus and wish I could have called Faye back from the grave as Jesus did. But I’ve come to understand that even without a physical resurrection, her short life bore powerful witness to God’s love. Her voice, her laughter, her remarkable joy—they all carried God’s message to everyone who knew her.

Like Lazarus, Faye’s story draws people to believe.

Not because she walked out of a tomb, but because her life demonstrated that God’s light can shine brilliantly even in the smallest vessels, even for the briefest time.

Her message wasn’t about defying death, but about embracing life fully while we have it, loving deeply, and trusting that God’s timing—though mysterious to us—is always perfect.

Over 30 years later, and I remember…

Though she never emerged from an earthly tomb like Lazarus, I know she walks with Christ in glory. And for that truth, for the privilege of knowing her, and for the lasting impact of her precious life, I am endlessly thankful.

Reflection: The Angels Among Us

Her legacy lives on in every prayer I’ve whispered for other children, every moment I’ve cherished with my own children, and every time I remember that love transcends even death.

What “little angels” have touched your life?

How have brief encounters with precious souls left lasting impressions on your faith journey?

Sometimes the most powerful witnesses aren’t those who return from the grave, but those whose lives—however short—illuminate the eternal love of God for all who are willing to see.

If this story blessed you, please share it, like, and comment below.

Don’t hide the blessing—let it multiply like Faye’s light continues to do.

Thank you for being here.

In the quiet moments of loss, I hope her mom and siblings find a deep and abiding peace—a peace that gently carries them forward through the shadows of grief toward the light of cherished memories.