Comfort and Hope

Richard Hill and David Dent-
taken Oct. 6, 2002 at my Graduate Recital in Houston.

I am allowing myself one blog this year to remember those who left us last fall--Stephen's Dad (Richard) who passed away a year ago today, his grandmother (Uldene), my grandmother (Eleanor), grandfather (Bert) and my great aunt (Alice)--and 8 years ago my father (David). 

Death is a hard thing and it doesn't matter how you go.  If it is a quick, tragic event where you don't get to say good-bye such as a car accident or if it is a long drawn out cancer, it doesn't matter.  Death is death and there is no easy way to go. And, it's hard on all involved.

However, there is hope.  God has a plan.  He has a reason for everything.  Without this hope and view of such purpose, life and the passing of life is a sad experience. 

I Chronicles 29:15 says, "We are here for only a moment...Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope."  And it's true, we are only here for a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of time, but put here for a purpose.  Without hope it is a hollow, shallow, self-centered existence. 

Just look at Job and how many times the word "hope" is mentioned in his book--at least 18 times depending on the translation.  Psalms--full of hope.  Hope and faith are what bring us through the tough times.  And, those times will come no matter who you are.  This hope is what gives us purpose and to persevere no matter the circumstances. 

We have this hope because God has given us grace.  His grace is an undeserved favor, mercy rescuing us from our own destruction, because we are all sinners and fallen short of His glory.  We can't be made right by doing what the law commands, it just shows us how sin-filled we are. We don't earn grace by doing good deeds either. God gave his son, Jesus as a sacrifice for sin.  (Rom. 3:20-26, 4:16, and Eph. 2:8-9)  And, he conquered the grave.  Death has been defeated and those who put their trust in Him will have eternal life. (John 17:3 and I Cor. 15:56-57) 

This is the comfort and confirmation he gives us. 

Recently, again in choir practice I was reminded by the text of what it will be like.  We were singing Mack Wilberg's "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need."  It's a take on the 23 Psalm with beautiful words, text painting finely woven into the texture of the music accompanied by (every time I've done it) 2 flutes.  The last stanza was the one that really hit home, paralleling verse 6--"Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." 

"Thy sure provision of my God attend me all my days.
O may thy house be mine abode and all my work be praise! 
There would I find a settled rest while others come and go,
No more a stranger, nor a guest, but like a child at home."

Our choir director, Phillip reminded most of us about what it feels like to come back home from college--to have that home cooked meal and love lavished on us by parents who have missed us--to feel like a child at home.  Through no fault of anyone, I haven't felt this on earth since the passing of Dadoo.  Mom doesn't live in the same house where I grew up (and I'm glad she doesn't.)  But when I "go home" I don't feel like a stranger or a guest, but I also don't feel "like a child at home."  My hope is that one day with my heavenly Father, I will feel that again.  Not a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home.

I know that Dadoo, Richard, Uldene, Alice, Gran and Granpaw feel that today.  They are settled in and feel that rest in the Lord.  Their work was all praise for Him and now they are at home.  I can't wait to have that feeling with my heavenly father and be reunited with those I love.

I have hope in my Lord, Jesus Christ.

Art: Picasso's Child Holding a Dove

Gran's Memorial Service

We celebrated the life of my maternal grandmother today, Eleanor Brown Greve, with heart-felt thanks and love. Even in her death she was a humble woman, as she didn't want a eulogy. She wanted it to be more of a witness service and left about 14 scriptures that she found comforting and poignant and wanted to share with others. Dr. Webb, in his most beautiful Welch accent spoke of these and summed them up in one verse Philippians 1:21. "To live is Christ, to die is to gain."

He had all the scriptures printed up on bookmarks for the family, but many asked for them as well, so I am sharing them here. (Just for you, D.D.!)

Psalm 71:15-18
Psalm 42:1-5
Psalm 103:8-18
Lamentations 3:22-26
Psalm 145
Psalm 91:1-2
II Peter 3:9
Romans 5:8-11
Romans 8:15b-17; 32
Galatians 4:6-7
Romans 4:24-25
I Corinthians 2:9
I Corinthians 15:53-57
I John 3:2

My sister sang "What Wondrous Love Is This" and at the graveside service Rev. O'Shea spoke of her comparing her to a beloved Christmas passage, Isaiah 9:3-6. She was all those things in some way to each of us. The whole afternoon was a beautiful tribute.

All Saints Day

There is so much to say that I don't even know where to begin and I feel like I don't even have the words to write about it this year. I had so many Saints to be thankful for having in my life this year. My sister blogged about her thoughts, and surprisingly, or not, it was somewhat what I have been feeling.

Stephen's Dad passed away a week ago and we had the funeral this past Wednesday. We were blessed with so many friends and family who called, texted, wrote, helped with kids and were there to support us. It was such a quick passing, but he isn't suffering anymore. We spent the entire week in Grand Saline and came home this evening. It was hard being there for a couple of reasons--#1 it's hard to mourn with kids hanging on you, but it gave me strength which is what the family needed and #2 I went through the very same thing with my dad 7 almost exactly 7 years ago. He was such a great, strong, loving man. I knew I was loved and I loved him just as if he was my own Dad. I will miss him dearly and I mourn for my kids, especially Kendrick who won't remember his time with him. Cavett did get to go to the funeral and the graveside service and he did very well. Hopefully, it will help engrain his memories of Grandaddy.

In September, I also lost my Mom's Dad, my Grampaw. Ultimately, it too was from a fast growing cancer. I pray for Gran, his wife, today as she celebrates her birthday without him. I have fond memories of sailing with him and waxing the boat, the smell of his woodshop, and fighting with him over the marrow in the bone of the Sunday roasts. He was a kind, gentle-hearted man with a joyful spirit. Also in September, I lost Great Aunt Alice who was also just as sweet as can be.

I pray that these three saints, along with my own Dadoo who went to be with Jesus 7 years ago today, will leave a lasting legacy upon me and my family and that they are rejoicing with God in heaven. I will miss them all here on earth, bu I know we wil be reunited again someday soon.

"In the end is our beginning; in our time infinity;

in our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity.

In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,

unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see."

~ Natalie Sleeth, 1986 Hymn of Promise

Death Overcome

My kids are no strangers to death. We haven't kept it a secret and Cavett knows all about Dadoo and heaven , Jesus and resurrection. But, today it hit a little closer home. We have know that Grampaw has been struggling for a while now. Actually, for 6 years now there have been severe ups and downs, but Cavett has gotten to have some special time with him and got to know him. This past month the doctors found a rapidly growing tumor in his frontal lobe. He was put in hospice about a week or so ago and passed away this afternoon.

I discussed the possibility of this with Cavett yesterday and he seemed to understand. "Just like Dadoo," he said. This morning our travels took us to the library. The second book that Cavett pulls out is titled, The Red Shoes by Sun Young Yoo and Gloria Fowler. I am a bit weary as I think it could be too girly, but the illustrations intrigued me. We read on. By page 3, the author uses these words--"Karen's mother fell gravely ill and soon after passed away. A brokenhearted Karen wore the red shoes for the first time to her mother's funeral." Ok, stop. These are big words we haven't talked about--gravely ill, passed away and funeral. Words were translated, meanings were given and parallels drawn. It was a good book and in the end the daughter has taken up her mother's craft at making shoes and carried on the traditions. The ending was ok, but I could have had more meaning.

However, during story time this evening, it just so happened that the story we were to read was of Good Friday. Mind you, we have been reading this Bible Story book in order for a couple of months and not changing any order or skipping around. Again, nothing was glossed over, except maybe the nails. But the discussion questions again centered around the words "grieving and mourning." So, this was my reminder and my ending I needed earlier.

We have hope because Jesus died on the cross for us, taking away our sins. We have hope because he will come again and God will wipe away all tears and there will be no more pain or death. Hope is the name of the game, people. Without it we are lost...forever. So have faith in that hope of Jesus Christ and his renewal of all creation.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you" I Peter 1:2-4

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Rev. 21:4

"The last enemy to be destroyed is death." I Cor. 15:26

Wordless Wednesday: Trains

Yesterday after SongPlay, we trekked to a different part of town to find an obscure paint store--Kwal. (I had never heard of it, but evidently that is what they painted my new house with and this store only sells it by the gallon!) As we were leaving the store, a train was passing just behind our car. We watched the entire train and let me tell you it was a long one. Both boys just stood and watched. I asked at one point if they were ready to go and no one budged. We saw it to the end and remembered our Dadoo.

This lead to a much deeper discussion about death and heaven than Cavett and I have ever had. It broke my heart to tell him that we will all die one day. The only way I got through it was telling him that one day Jesus is going to come back one day and wipe pain and death out. Truly, I guess that is what gets most every one I know through the day. If only more people realized this....



"God will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." Revelations 21:4

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