Do you remember taking trips and first of all wondering where on earth your parents were taking you? And why don't they ever tell us about this "whole other group of relatives" we are about to meet. And then once you got there, got a good sunburn, got some sightseeing in, ate a little...well, then it is time to "go home". And you were really starting to enjoy the newfound family members! Getting ready to go is not a big chore, except the clothing was folded and packed so neatly when you started this trip, and now it is a big sandy mess of something! So you cram it into the suitcases as best you can, duct tape them closed and head for home. Once you are on your way, a smile comes over your face and you realize...I AM GOING HOME!!! An excitement builds in you and at home, it is building in those who are awaiting your arrival. When you get there you will be greeted with hugs and howdys, by friends and family that perhaps you haven't seen in a long while. Those you leave behind, are having their own mixed emotions. And so, it is how I am feeling tonight. Letting go of someone so that they can make that final journey to heaven is difficult. She's so old - 95 - and has had alzheimer's for several years. But, she is my grannie. When I go visit here, she smiles and mumbles a few things in my direction. Then I'll brush her hair or rub lotion on her hands and we are connected again, even if only for a few seconds. Her body is tired now. And, praise God, we know that the angels await her arrival and her reunion with her dear "hon", son Jerry, numerous brothers and sisters, her parents and so many more. But, for those of us left here, the void seems great. We know that Jesus will reach right down from the sky and welcome her home and I can just see her singing all the way! She has touched so many through her illness. We've all become students of the disease of Alheizmers, read books, talked to medical professionals to gain a better understanding of this powerful disease. Some of the ladies who care for her at the nursing home take great pride in helping her maintain her dignity. To you, I am thankful and always be. It was always important to my grannie that she had a little rouge and lipstick on and her nails done. Her hair is wiry, at best, but the right person can make it just precious on her. I've been searching all day for the verse I would choose to wish my granny joy on the journey and I think I found it...it is a slight paraphrase but totally in context! 2 Timothy 1:5 "I have been reminded of your sincere faith which first lived in your grandmother (Lois) Thelma, and in your mother (Eunice) Barbara and , I am persuaded now lives in you also." My grandmother's legacy of faith has deeply impacted my life. As she begins her journey to her final home, one that she has longed for, I just pray that the God of all comfort will minister as only He can.
May it encourage you to know that she has fought the good fight, she has stayed the course, she has run with perseverance toward the prize that is her's in Jesus Christ. May the final leg of this journey be for her - her desire to go, instead of for us - our desire to hang on a little longer. Please pray for our family. We love her so much and just know that she is woman who truly knows that her work on this earth is finished. In peace, Grannie, find your wings and soar.
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mindy -
thanks for writing so sweetly about our grannie. she is, i imagine, so tired now. and i know that she will not experience true rest until she is resting in the arms of her Savior. and i know that He is waiting for her, and will welcome her into paradise. i also have this picture in my heart, of a flame haired younger, stronger man, waiting with his son for the love of his life.......and won't she just be filling their ears when she gets to them! how lucky we all have been to have been loved so well by our family..... and to have been the delight of the lives of grandparents, aunts, and uncles who took such great joy in pouring their affection on us. we can use their examples as we continue to "grow up" and fill those roles in our own families. i am sorry that i am not there with you all to comfort you and share in the difficult moments of transition that are inevitable in a family. being away is hard. i know that this is all a part of God's will for our lives, and i am thankful that He is in control. i will miss our grannie when she is gone from us --- but i will have such sweet memories of all our years together. i love you, donna jean
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