A lovely church service in the evening and the following morning a grave side service. I spoke at the church service, along with several others in the family. Carter read the Beatitudes by the grave side. The grave side service was breath taking. Grampy served in the army so the flag ceremony and taps were done. Then a friend of the family played the bag pipes, standing under a cross. It was beautiful.
I am the oldest of John’s three grandchildren. We call him Grampy.
Having a parents that are both only children comes with its certain qualities. One of which is that our family is very small. I did not realize this until a school assignment that required us to draw out our family tree of three generations. I finished mine in a half an hour while others spent hours. Up until that moment it did not occur to me what a unique family structure we had…it was just us. Holidays, actually all fitting around the dining room table. Quality time with each other. Quality time with our grandparents.
I knew Grampy as the cool grandfather that rode motorcycles, had a motor home, traveled with Grammy and enjoyed gospel music. My gentle caring Grampy loved us deeply. Being the only grandchildren, we did not lack from attention and love.
Rumor has it that Grampy was my first date but apparently not the best date because I fell asleep on the way home. Of course I was a little girl and perhaps the date was so exciting that I does off in the car, spending quality time with my Grampy.
Over the years we traveled to Indiana to visit and they to Maryland. And always saw them at Word of Life in the summer. When I was in college in Indiana, he came to our tennis matches and cheered us on. Always there looking dapper with a genuine smile.
During one college break, I stayed Grampy and Grammy. That weekend, Grampy gave me a little book, The Bible Promise Book. He wrote inside, “To Carrie from Grampy on his 70th birthday. Read it and enjoy every word.”
Last week, I was driving home with my three boys moments after a rain storm. My middle child declared, “A rainbow! I can see all the colors!” The older shouted, “I can see the beginning and the end!” This rainbow was magnificent, so bright you felt as though you could touch it. A rainbow that we could see the beginning arching all the way to an end.I immediately thought about God’s promises and Grampy. Last week we had all been waiting, anxiously awaiting the phone call about Grampy. As I gazed upon this rainbow, it was a vibrant reminder of Grampy’s legacy. There was a beginning and end to his life here on earth but radiating with the promises of God.
As soon as I got home, I pulled out the little book Grampy gave me. I closed the doors to the study, plopped in the chair with a deep sigh and started to read.
Two verses immediately grabbed my attention.
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalms 73:26
“We do not lose heart. Even though our outward man in perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For out light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Cor 4:16-18
Promises that Grampy lived by, passed on to the generations and is now celebrating with his Lord and Savior.
