To the grandmother we adored,
When I think of all you have witnessed and experienced in your 92 years, one thing stands out that I have learned from you: We can hold both sorrow and joy together.
I know others will talk about your incredible hospitality, your enduring patience for everyone’s stories on those many long phone calls, your love to laugh, your super tight hugs, your faithful prayers, your love for the gospel, and your deep desire to win people to Christ.
Indeed, those must be highlighted for they encompass your life’s work of loving others as Christ loves and drawing others to Him. As we bear witness to the fruit of your life, we celebrate and give thanks for your faithfulness.
But when I think of the quieter details of your life, I remember how you experienced so much heartache, tragedy, and loss.
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| Beloved husband. Taken by cancer at age 58. |
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| Beloved son. Only 24 years with him. |
Your days weren't easy, and your burdens were many. Only you and the Lord knew the true depth.
And yet, you still smiled. You still laughed. You still loved. You still pointed to the goodness of your God. You did this through tears…and you did this through gales of laughter.
And so, one of the things I have learned from you is that we can hold both sorrow and joy together. One does not cancel the other out. I know you would say it was not done in your own strength, but only with God as your source of deep joy and true peace in all seasons of life. What I witnessed in your life was the lived-out version of “the joy of the Lord is my strength.”
I wish you knew, Grammie, how hopeful and encouraging it has been to watch your solid example of God’s sustaining grace.
Through your words and your faithful actions, you have led us, your family, with grace and truth to the feet of Jesus. You have shown us what it means to love like He loves, in word and deed. You have shown us how beautiful He is, how faithful He is, and how trustworthy He is. Your love for Him has helped shape our view of our Saviour.
And now…for you, there is no more pain. No more sickness. No more loss. No more tears. No more worries. No more heartache. No more death. While there is a massive hole in our hearts here, what rest it must be for you, now fully alive in his presence and reunited with so many you love.
Love does not stop at death.
Your efforts to connect with each of us, right down to your great-grandchildren, have meant the world. I wish we were there in person to honour your legacy, to hug those who also love you, and to grieve and remember together.
You shared your love so widely and freely, yet we each felt it to the full.
With tears, Grammie, I’m grateful it’s not goodbye…but until we meet again…