Thursday, March 5, 2009

Mixed Tears


I returned from Mexico last night, and had an amazing time with the women of the Ecumenical Society in Monterrey, and with my wonderful husband in Cancun. I had planned to post pictures and blessings from my trip today, but life changes quickly, so I will share those at a later time.

My sweet grandmother, Marion Blythe, went to be with Jesus tonight. She has been frail and weak for years, with her health diminishing, and her body failing her. Even when you know someone is ready and anxious to transform into the beautiful, new, and revitalized body that they will receive when they leave this broken world behind, it is still hard to accept the loss of people we love.

When I was growing up, her constant religious reminders about every word that we spoke, every action that we took, and every behavior that we acted out on, actually got on my nerves. If I ever said "shut up", she was quick to correct me to say "please be quiet" instead - not what you wanted to say when your brother or sister were bugging you. She constantly reminded us to keep a soft tone, a sweet disposition, and to always know that God was watching.

We have always poked fun at her cooking skills, which were not one of her spiritual gifts. She never wasted a morsel and put every bit to good use in some way, which often times got very creative. Even when she forced us to eat cold oatmeal and certain foods which we could not identify, we still knew her intentions were good, and her heart was in the right place. Just be thankful for what God gives you, appreciate it, and consume it.

Grandmother once added an extra verse to our family blessing, which as a child, I thought was the longest blessing in the history of the world and that the time to eat would never arrive. But now, it is a tradition that I do with my own children before each meal.

The blessing goes like this, "Come Lord Jesus, our guests to be, and bless these gifts bestowed by thee", and she added "and bless our loved ones everywhere, and keep them in your loving care". Amen. Funny how we learn to appreciate things that seemed so insignifcant at the time, but now hold a special place in our heart.

She had bible verses cut out and pasted everywhere in the house, from the toilet paper roll to the fridge. Pictures of Jesus filled her home. She was gifted in music and had tons of music stacked high all around the house, which now is a treasure that was passed down to me a few years ago, but she played hymns and praise music on the organ and the piano until her eyes and memory began failing her.

She started a day care, focused on Christ, and ran it for 25 years. She taught Sunday School, music, choir, played the church piano, volunteered, provided homes for countless foster children, and shared the gospel wherever she went. Despite all the things that happened in her life, good, bad and indifferent, she never lost sight of the fact that our focus in life is to be on the eyes of Jesus.

But what I will always remember the most, is the legacy of faith that she left behind. My grandmother's heart, and the love of Jesus that she shared with countless hundreds of children and adults throughout her lifetime, is one that will last forever in the minds of those who knew her.

She and my grandfather, who passed away several years ago, gave birth to ten children. Those ten children provided her 22 grandchildren, and 21 great grandchildren. The ages of my cousins range from 3 years of age, to over 50 yrs old.

She and my grandfather not only left a large family, they left a legacy of faith. All of her children, the spouses of her children, her grandchildren, and her great grandchildren who are old enough to make spiritual decisions, believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus has been the stronghold in our family for as long as I can remember. Generations and generations of people will be impacted because of her faith and the Godly beliefs that will be passed down for years to come.

So as you pray over the coming days, I covet your prayers for my family. For those who grieve her loss, and for the children who have a hard time understanding death. But a smile comes to my face when I think of her singing those praise songs, in her alto voice, to the most High God as she has always done, but this time, she is standing in His presence. Smiling. Restored. Perfect. Pain free. Rejoicing. Beautiful.

Thank you Jesus for your gift of salvation and eternal life, I cant imagine facing the death of a loved one without knowing that they have been given wings to fly with You.

(My grandmother holding the most recently born grandchild, Savannah, right after her birth about three years ago.)

2 Corinthians 5:8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

Luke 23:43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Mixed TearsSocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

8 comments:

Joyful said...

Oh Tracie, I'm praying for you and surrounding you with love.

What a beautiful tribute to your sweet Grandmother. What a heritage you have and what a legacy she leaves. A life well lived for God's glory.

Praying the Lord will comfort you and hold you in His arms. Tears accompanied my reading because of your loss; because it's hitting a chord very close to home, but also tears of thankfulness knowing that your sweet Grandmother is now in the presence of the Lord.

May you know God's presence with you today,
Hugs,
Joy
PS. Thanks for your message last night. How kind when you were going through your own suffering. Upholding you in prayer.

Anonymous said...

My heart goes out to you, Tracie. What a blessing for you to have loved your Grandmother and to be loved by her.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please envelope Tracie and her family in your love and the love of all her friends today as she grieves the loss of her grandmother and celebrates her grandmother's return to you. Please give them a sense of peace and uphold them with your faithfulness through this difficult time.
I ask this in Jesus' name,
Amen.

Melanie said...

This is beautiful as surely your grandmother was and is!
I am also blessed to have had 2 godly grandmothers who loved the Lord with everything they had.

Mom to 4 said...

Tracie,
What a wonderful tribute to your grandmother! She was a wonderful woman. Believe it or not I remember her! I guess she was one of those people that left am impression on you. I remember Christie and I laughing about her crazy cooking, but always with love. I thinking she was a very sweet loving person and I also remember how much you all loved her. Please let your family know I will be thinking about them (especially your mom) in next few days.
Love,
Melanie

Unknown said...

May the Lord comfort you and give you peace. One day, you will see your grandmother again.

Wendy Pope said...

You are carrying your grandmother's legacy beautifully sweet friend.

Jodie Wolfe said...

Tracie,

I'm so sorry for your recent loss and pray that the Lord will comfort you as only He can. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Blessings,
Perals

B His Girl said...

She heard the words 'Well done, my good and faithful servant'. I would print out this post for all the family to read. She invested in eternal things. May her life inspire all of us to use our gifts for His Glory. Blessing to your family Tracie. B