Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Weekend Reflections - Part 1

On our 11 hour drive home from my grandma's funeral. I had quite a bit of time to reflect on the events of this past weekend. I sat in the church that was filled with family and felt so blessed and so priviledged and proud to part of them.

I was witness to so many acts of love. These images are engraved in my memories like photographs in one of my scrapbooks. I took it all in. I savored each moment I could. I would have liked to have frozen time and instead will cherish these memories. I know I will not list them all but I'll try to share the acts of love that impressed me. And for family members that read here, feel free to share along with me.

*The way my mom and her sisters, Pat, Emmy, and Donna always had an eye to their father. It seemed as though one of them was always next to him with a hand on his shoulder.
*The way my uncles Matthew, John, Bill, Ron, and cousin Aaron helped Grandpa stand or sit and supported each step he took.
*The way my grandma was compared to the Proverbs 31 woman.
*The way Matthew referred to the way his mother had prayed for him and loved him unconditionally.
*The playing of the bagpipes at the gravesite.
*All the hugs.
*The lunch supplied by the Horshoe Bend Baptist Church for our very, very large family.
*The way Stephen held his mother's hand at the gravesite.
*The way Anna comforted her mother, Julie.
*Karl singing Beulah land at my grandmother's request and Aaron's response to it.
*The reading of the Scriptures and the Hymns of praise and of Heaven that we sung
*Adam leading the singing and Janet playing the piano.
*Joel praying with my grandpa before they left
*Seeing Uncle John with his new wife, Linda and how he served Grandpa, how she made him coconut cream pies and John praying with him when he said goodbye
*Watching my grandpa say goodbye to grandma
*Seeing grandpa's brother Bill sit beside him at the visitation and the funeral
*Seeing Matthew embrace my grandpa after the gravside ceremony

I am still taken back when I picture each of these. Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing my memories.

1 comment:

Gretchen said...

Rebecca,

I am SO glad you wrote all that down. Those are my memories, too, but I am not so good at specifics. I loved the service at the church, and the ceremony at the gravesite. The bagpipes were just gorgeous.

We are so blessed. I specifically loved hearing Matt read Scripture, and I didn't have a chance to tell him so. I love nothing more than for someone to read Scripture with a dramatic flair. Can you imagine the heartbreak at a funeral of an unbeliever? I cannot. Everything at Grandma's was so sweet!

Thanks for writing this!

~Gretchen