My sweet, wise, very old grandma celebrated her 92nd birthday last week! It is hard for me to imagine being that old. She was born during the Great Depression, was married to a man who fought in the Second World War, totally left him when he proved to be unworthy, and moved herself and her children to the projects and slept with a 2x4 under her bed to protect them. She then met and married the man I knew as my papa. He was in the battle of Iwo Jima! He actually had a Japanese rifle that he picked off a fallen soldier. Could you imagine? History lives in all of us.
I am saddened by death- believe me -but it is important to remember that we aren't meant or made for this world. As sad as it is to say goodbye to loved ones, when one lives in the Lord, because of His sacrifice, good byes are not forever. I know that doesn't make them less sad- but it does mean that one day everyone will be reunited. Do you live with that Hope?
While I love my grandma, I am comforted that she knows the Lord, and that she has surely lived a rich life. I know because she shares all of her stories with me. She shares them multiple times in one sitting, and forgets that she has just told me this or that story, but she remembers the past with such clarity. She may not remember she just turned 92, or that it's time for breakfast, but she remembers at age ten being in charge of her four year old baby sister and riding a train from Jacksonville, Florida to Little Rock, Arkansas... By herself. I wouldn't put my 12 year old on a train by herself- just saying.
It'll be ok to say good bye (for now) to G-ma, because she has outlived her husband(s), her sister, most aunts, uncles, and cousins, and one of her children. And I'm sure she is tired. God still has a plan for her, though, and while I don't understand what it could be, I certainly trust it. One of my favorite preachers (Clayton King) was preaching about sadness and loosing person after person in a short period of time. He said, though, that he heard this message about tough times: "if you aren't dead, then God's not done."
I love that. It's powerful. It's a reminder that He has a plan for all of us. It is empowering to me to get the message of the Gospel to any loved one I know, too.
We are here for only a short time. Jesus died so that we may live forever. If you don't have that hope, please feel free to contact me, or comment on my post... I'm happy to talk about the life changing love of Jesus Christ:) with anyone.
