"I am the Resurrection and the Life.

He who believes in me will live,

even though he dies;

and whoever lives and believes in me

will never die."

John 11:21

A Life Well Lived

My grandmother passed away last week, at the age of 89.

It is a difficult task to try to express in words what she meant to me. She was the only grandmother I ever knew - my paternal grandmother passed away before I was born, before my parents were even married, though I knew her through stories, as my two grandmothers were best friends and that is, in fact, how my parents met as children, but that’s another story altogether...

I have so many fond memories of summer vacations at Grandma’s house as a child, as a teenager. She worked tirelessly to please us children, baking all kinds of goodies, making sure we enjoyed leisurely, long summer days of play. As I grew, she also grew in my eyes and became much more to me than a grandmother. She became a woman I admired and looked up to, and held up as a high standard for my own life, an example I wanted to emulate. She placed before me a model difficult to follow, this woman with the humble-grateful heart, kind countenance, soft-spoken voice, contagious laughter, and ever-wise words. I now know that I was truly privileged to call her my Grandmother.

This woman was always quick to praise her husband, and always full of gratitude to her God. Not once did I hear her complain. She had lived through so many hardships in her life, and persevered through each and every one of them. It must not have been easy with your husband working as a barber by day and in the mines by night, coming down with pneumonia as a result and being sent away for a year-long sanatorium treatment, while you stayed home with 4-5 kids to care for on your own. It must not have been easy to watch German soldiers stand your husband by the wall of your house, threatening to shoot him if he didn’t tell them some information he did not know... It must not have been easy treading through deep snow in the dead of winter with a baby in your arms, having to help bury a soldier killed by the enemy camp in your kitchen (!) – so when the fellow soldiers return, the death isn’t blamed on you. This woman, whose spirit was not changed for the worse by the hardships she lived through, but for the better, becoming an example of humility, peace, perseverance and love, was greatly admired by her family, including me. Knowing that I come from this lineage of greatness awoke a desire in me to aspire to greatness, a greatness of heart; seeing Christ in my grandmother stirred a love for Christ in me – even before I myself made a commitment to Christ.

She was my grandmother, this woman we playfully called “The Humorous” (while we called Grandpa “The Mischievous”), for she had a quick wit and could turn a phrase like no other. The caliber of her person was nothing less than awe-inspiring. Even in her old age, as her body succumbed to weakness, her spirit never gave way; she had a deep abiding joy, a peace about her only known to those who commune with the One Living God, and wisdom on her lips, always.

To say that she was a good woman is an understatement; she was one of the best people this world has ever seen – along with Grandpa. They truly deserved and complemented each other, and if possible, made each other even better. They lived together in marriage for 68 happy years, and by their own humble admission and their children’s memory – not once did a fight/harsh word pass between them. They raised 7 children together, who then expanded to 13 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren. As the family grew over the years, each addition brought her and Grandpa great joy. Each family member was blessed to be lifted daily in their prayers.

She went into the hospital 2 weeks prior to her death and she felt it. She knew it. She expressed it in these words to her loved ones: “From this place, I am going home.”

She didn’t mean home to her devoted 94-year-old husband, but she meant the Everlasting Home she had longed for all her life, the place where the King of Kings awaits her. She left this world while three of her daughters sang Gospel songs to her at her hospital bedside. As they sang, she breathed her last breath and met her King face to face that very night.

There is an emptiness for those of us who are left behind, for we are lacking in her sweet laughter and wise words, the ability to wrap our arms, just one more time, around this beautiful woman, who through her earthly walk with Christ matured into – exactly as promised by Him – a very real image of Christ.

But the Christian faith is not a mere hope of a better tomorrow, a wish for an everlasting home. The Christian faith by which we live is reality, true heart knowledge – the reality of things we do not see, the sure knowledge that God’s promise stands concerning the future of those who love Him. We, who have trusted Him, are certain of what awaits us; more certain are we of this fact than of the fact that we’re alive here today. We know where and with whom our sweet grandmother is and with true joy we can say: "until we meet again."

The last time we saw Grandma was this past fall. Caleb met her twice in his two years of life. We will always treasure the pictures and videos that were taken on these occasions.

Here are a few of these, so we can again remember.

2007 Summer

2008 Fall

June Celebrations

This week, we celebrate two birthdays and an anniversary (our 10th!) within a three-day period.

We got married 10 years ago on the Summer Solstice - the longest and most romantic day of the year.

A few snapshots of our Wedding Day:
It was a sweltering summer day; we were the calmest bride and groom in history; I drove myself to my wedding (though not in my wedding gown); Ron thought I looked like a “Celtic princess” in my headpiece walking down the aisle; I tried my best to be inconspicuous during the wedding (Ron still cracks up at that); trumpet music serenaded our march in and out of the service; we both loved how the presence of God filled the little sanctuary during the praise and worship; and did I mention, it was a SWELTERING SUMMER DAY?

We probably would have been the happiest afterwards jumping into a pool of water somewhere,

like this

but instead, we drove the rest of the day, stopping only for dinner, to our reserved destination halfway to Disney World, where we then proceeded to have the best vacation of our lifetime. It seems like it all happened just yesterday.

We are happier today than we were on that day, and that’s the way it should be. We’ve lived and laughed and cried and prayed and became parents together in the past decade. Yes, in 10 years, much to the gratitude of all four grandparents, we’ve produced 1 grandchild/heir. (And we almost didn’t make it.) At this rate, we’ll need 20 more years to complete our family! Seriously, we do hope to do better in the next 10. (grandparents cheering)

A song that had a lot of meaning to us and that we played at our wedding was Carman’s “Serve the Lord.” It is a creed, a declaration. It goes from a single believer to the joint declaration of plural believers. Being able to say these words together with one heart as husband and wife is truly the foundation of our marriage. Both individually and together, it defines us and what we believe, and sums up what we live for, even more so today than on that special Midsummer’s Day, the day of our wedding. We know that as we’ve grown closer to God, we’ve grown closer to each other, and this will only continue. Our faith in Christ is a solid foundation that cannot be destroyed by the winds of time, or the storms of life. Our marriage and our very life stand upon it.

"Serve the Lord" by Carman

I believe in God the Father
Jesus Christ, His only Son
And the blessed Holy Spirit
Distinct, yet Three in One

I believe there is forgiveness
For everything we've done
That is why all the more
I will serve Him

I believe the Son of God
Was crucified upon the tree
And laid within a borrowed tomb
Not far from Calvary
I believe He rose up from the dead
Alive for all to see
That is why all the more
I will serve Him

I have made my decision
I have staked my claim
I have drawn a line in the sand
And I'll not be ashamed
With the world behind me
And the cross before
By the grace of God
I will serve the Lord

I believe you must be born again
John 3:16 is true
The old life can be washed away
Everything made new
I believe the love of God
Can somehow find its way to you
That is why all the more
I will serve Him

And I know when Satan and his minions
Come to torment me
When I invoke the name of Jesus
Every demon has to flee
I know the time will come
When Christ returns again someday
Till then there's just one name on Earth
Whereby men can be saved

I believe there is a right and wrong
A time to live and die
And the Bible is the blueprint
That all men should live by
I believe I'm not alone
With my faith in Jesus Christ
That is why all the more we will serve Him

We have made our decision
We have staked our claim
We have drawn a line in the sand
And we'll not be ashamed
With the world behind us
And the cross before
By the grace of God
We will serve the Lord

By the grace of God
WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.