Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
~Psalm 116:15
I believe that God is author of life and of death. I believe he ordains all things and that His will is ultimate. I believe that it is great gain for a believer to die. For families and loved ones left here, death doesn't always taste so sweet. Especially at first.
Just over a week ago, I learned that a gentleman that my family knows, my cousins' grandfather on their mother's side, passed away after some time of medical complications and deteriorating health. While I cannot count for you the number of years it had been since I had seen him or spent time with them, my heart was saddened by the loss. Perhaps because it made me one step closer, in my mind, to losing my own grandfather. Maybe it was simply the idea of weeping alongside my dad's family who I have not spent much time with over the last few years.
The service was small and very beautiful. The wind was blowing and the sky changed from blue to grey. Friends spoke of the way the life of the gentleman and how he cared for his family. My aunt, his daughter, shared about her father's example as a husband to her mother, and as a spiritual leader in their home by his faithfulness to pray. Men cried and shared about how he trained them in the fields to work and to be diligent. His family wept together and watched as his body was lowered into the earth. The county's Honor Guard stood by ready for their salute and when Taps was played, I'm not sure I could have held back my tears any longer.
I am grateful for my family. I'm so thankful to them for letting me share that day with them.
Thank you for opening your home to me on a day like that. Thank you for sharing your gift of hospitality and your hearts... and your hugs. I enjoyed our conversations and the laughter... and the tears.
I am grateful to God for the ways that death made me think about life.
