This article is a memorial, and the fourth installment in the CNJ Excellent Artist series.
Cara Cooke, a beautiful young actress and woman of God, won the victory in Jesus Christ on Resurrection Day after a long battle with kidney disease.
Here is part of her story.
She was the youngest person in Michigan to ever have a kidney transplant, and her fourth kidney failed. She is alive in Heaven — just one of those special people you never forget, you know the kind of people others are drawn to. She is the person I look forward to seeing most in Heaven, besides Jesus.
So many of us in Christian media production prayed so long and so hard…for the miracle. But as we came to realize, this lesson is meant to be for mercy for Cara, and for those of us who are heartbroken. It’s hard not to feel Heaven’s closeness as I write this…and to see Cara in my mind with Jesus.
I wrote a novel about the Second Coming called “King of Glory” for this purpose, and to remind people of the heavenly reunions. I believe Cara’s home-going is for this purpose.
I had the honor of interviewing her once, for a Keeping Up With the Christians special on March 28, 2020. For those who did not know Cara Cooke, here is some of her acting.
Cara’s most powerful and poignant acting role was in Episode 3 of The Rapture Chronicles, with producer and founder of Churchouse Productions, Dray Hill, released on November 27, 2019. Cara received the 2020 Edge Award for this episode, “Our First Baby.” She is so convincing in this, I thought she really was expecting, though she never was blessed with marriage and a family. And her heartbreak of grief at the end…is unforgettable. When I interviewed her, I asked her how she was able to portray such grief, so convincingly, and she said that she’d lost her sister. But now they are reunited. Cara’s last role was released March 11, 2021. It is Season Two, Episode 1 of The Rapture Chronicles, titled, “The Conference Call.”
Because of Cara’s faith and passion, many people started producing movies, projects, and videos that focus on Jesus’ imminent return.
We are mere pilgrims subject to pain, natural disasters, loss, and more on earth — waiting to exchange our earthly homes for a Heavenly one.
“But at death we exchange this crumbling, disintegrating tent for a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
In Revelation 14:13, we find that death is a place of rest from our labors: “It is as if the Lord of the harvest says to every weary laborer, ‘You’ve been faithful in your task. Come and sit in the sheltered porch of my palace and rest from your labors. Enter now into the joy of your Lord.’”
Martin Luther said all sadness was from the devil, because it has to do with death. We can beat sadness by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). What this means is to keep the eyes of our heart on Jesus.
Please pray for believers in the arts, and others who will be in this “Excellent Artist” series.
Kristen Collier has a BA in English Literature and is co-founder with her husband, and Roku developer, of Creative Motion Network, a cutting-edge, free indie Christian Roku channel. She is also co-founder and animator of Collier Animation Studio, producer of Benny the Barnacle (2021).