Sarah Lauren Harmening, born December 20, 1999, is her family’s most extraordinary surprise Christmas gift, second only to Christ Jesus himself. She is the embodiment of innocence and purity. Her precious innocent spirit loves to frolic in the fictional stories of bygone eras, her very favorite being that of Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott. Her purity was exemplified on earth through her rich and pure love for her family and friends, but most of all her unpolluted, unwavering and relentless love for Jesus Christ, her personal Lord and Savior. She lived and breathed to know Him and to make Him known. Her family is blessed by her prolific journaling chronicling a heart set on the relentless pursuit of Him. Sarah daily spent prolonged periods of time on the screened porch overlooking the trees basking in His presence through His Word and prayer. She lifted her prayers to Him out loud, mistakenly assuming those on the inside were unable to hear, thus blessing them with sweet music to Him that now echoes in the broken hearts of her grieving family.
Sarah was on mission to Botswana to share the love of Christ with whoever God assigned to her, but she was specifically looking forward to sharing Him with children. When anyone expressed concern about her going so very far from us, she was quick to respond full of faith, “I have prayed and I know God has called me to it, so whatever happens is within His will.” At lunch the day before she went home to our Lord and Savior she was discussing the faith of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Egypt after the recent mass martyring. She recalled reading the entirety of Jesus Freaks and how profoundly that impacted her. She said she used to worry that she would not have the courage to stand for Him like the martyrs in the book, but now knows that it is Him who enables them and us to stand, and would do so for her as well. Sweet Sarah took that final stand of fearless faith and surrender as she once again journaled out of the overflow of a heart surrendered to our heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ only moments before she stood in His presence, and she was, indeed, found faithful as she took her rank among those who previously inspired her so.
Sarah shared with her sisters that should she not come back from this assignment she so dutifully took, that her funeral was to be nothing less than a celebration. She wants everyone to wear their favorite colors, and clarified that black is unacceptable.
Sarah is survived by her parents, Scott and Karen, three sisters, Katelyn, Kristen and Sophie, her grandparents, Frank & Carolyn Cunningham (Huntsville), Jerry and Jane Harmening (Hazel Green), great-grandfather, David Moyers (Fayetteville, TN), step great-grandmother, Effie Harmening (Flintville, TN) and several aunts, uncles and cousins who also loved her dearly.
Visitation was from 12 noon to 2 p.m. Monday, June 12, 2017, at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The funeral service followed with Dr. Jimmy Jackson, Dr. Kevin Moore and Britton Latham officiating. Burial was at Mount Zion Cemetery.
Listening to Him 
We were visiting our son, Michael, and his family the week of this tragedy and attended their church, Sarah’s church, for the first time that Sunday. Never have I felt such deep sadness in a church but overshadowed 10 fold was the love for God that I felt from people in that church. While I felt the loss of someone I never knew I was overjoyed to know my son, his wife and our grandchildren are in a church that places GOD first. Thank you for sharing your daughter with strangers. I am praying for your family to find peace and comfort. May God bless you all.