I greatly appreciate your prayers over these past weeks. My Pop Pop (granddad on my Mom's side) passed away last Thursday. We spent the past two weekends in Pocahontas County West Virginia where he was from and where my Mom is related to half the county.
Our first weekend in West Virginia was spent running back and forth to the small hospital (the only hospital within 40 to 50 miles) where Pop Pop was a patient. He had not seen the kids before and was wanting to see them badly. We have lived close to 10 hours away from our family in seeking to be obedient to God's call on our lives to ministry since the kids were born and we would spend our vacations with our parents. Our decision was not based on anything malicious toward my Pop Pop but on our wanting our parents to have a direct influence in the kids lives. Pocahontas County lies in the Mountains and is a hard three to four hour drive away from either of our parents. I invited him to come to see us but he was unable due to age difficulties. Over the past year especially God had restored our relationship and I'm so thankful for that. It has been amazing to hear him say I love you numerous times in our numerous conversations on the phone over this past year.
When we arrived that Saturday at the hospital we were not sure of what his condition would be. When we entered the room he was alert. He looked and saw the kids and lit up! I will never forget seeing the life in his eyes as he looked at them! He then extended his hands to the girls and they each grabbed one and they exchanged caresses. It was as if he had been waiting to see them. The girls are usually shy at first contact but it was as if they knew this was a special moment as well. The same I love you that I had heard over the past year is what they heard as well. I will cherish that visit of the many that weekend for the rest of my life!
After that special visit his health deteriorated quickly. Later that day his morphine was increased and that continued throughout that weekend and through the week. We received a call from my Mom on Thursday evening saying that he was gone. We then made plans for this past weekend to go back.
We arrived back on Saturday. On Sunday morning we went to his home church. It was a wonderful church. We then spent the day with family. My Mom has two brothers and we got to see each. The kids loved seeing everybody especially their Aunt Mary Beth and cousin Elizabeth.
The funeral was Monday morning. Jill was amazing. She watched our three and one of my sister's two chilldren in a back room during the viewing, which immediately proceeded the funeral and the funeral service itself. This allowed both me and my sister to be with our family. The service itself was a one in which the gospel was presented and Christ honored. My Mom got up and spoke and did an amazing job. Tears were shed but for me there was comfort found in the gospel that was presented during the service and had been embraced by my Pop. The funeral home was packed and chairs had to be added which was amazing in that it was a Monday morning viewing and service - a great testimony to a life lived.
During the viewing I watched my parents interact with family and others. The weird little "quirks" that drove me crazy as a teenager about Mom and Dad I noticed as they interacted. Those same "quirks" did not dirve me crazy at all in watching them that morning. They are things that I have grown to respect and love now. I leaned over to my sister during the service and said "even with their 'quirks' they are awesome" and she readily agreed. Reflection is never a bad thing especially as I consider how blessed I am. Blessed to have that last special moment with Pop Pop, to the time with my family this past weekend, and most importantly in being able to reflect on the gospel that Pop Pop had embraced.
Thanks for lifting us up before the throne during these past weeks...
No comments:
Post a Comment