Remembering

Today, I remember the life of an extraordinary woman. Two years ago today, my precious grandmother went home to be with the Lord. I still remember so vividly receiving the phone call from my dad around 9am that she had died a few minutes before. I'm so thankful that Josh was right there with me and just held me while I wept. My tears were not only for losing her, but also knowing that she would never meet my baby boy and her first great-grandchild. There are times I look at him playing or laughing and I wish with all my heart that she could have met him and held him.

A couple of weeks ago while visiting my parents, I went through cards and letters from high school and college that I didn't even know existed. I'm not one to keep anything (I hate clutter) and I was surprised to find an entire shoe box of old cards and letters. As I was reading through those notes, I realized that most of the cards and letters were from Grandy. When I was in college, she sent me letters frequently. I think she knew how much a college student wants mail from home, but more than that, she wanted me to know that she loved me and she was praying for me.

And that is what I miss about her most - her prayers. My Grandy was a woman of the Word and of prayer. She faithfully prayed for her family everyday. When she was close to death, I remember telling her how much I loved her and would miss her. She told me she loved me too and she also said that she would pray for me to end. My prayer now is that I would be as faithful as she was to know the Word and to pray for my family. She has given me such a wonderful example to follow.

As much as I miss her and remember her today, I know she is with her Jesus. She used to talk a lot about how much she wanted to go to heaven so that she would be free from physical aches and pains, but most of all to be free of sin. Praise the Lord for two years she has been free from sin's very presence! May we all long for that day!

"It Is Well with My Soul" was sung at her funeral and the last verse is especially meaningful as I think about her departing and one day my own.

And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
"Even so," it is well with my soul.

*I wrote a tribute to my grandmother for girltalk for Mother's Day 2008. If you didn't read it then, you can find it here: http://www.girltalkhome.com/blog/A_Tribute_to_Margie_Powell_Lusk