My Life as a COMMA!

Not sure how to start this since it has been so long since I’ve written…but wanted to start with this past week. 

About a week and a half ago my husband got a call that his grandfather had been taken to the hospital by ambulance.  He was having trouble breathing and they thought it might be his heart.  My sweet hubby spent most of that first evening at the hospital.  The kiddos were pretty bummed the next day when they found out dad would be going back that evening and that they weren’t going to be able to go visit too.  The second night my husband went again and the kids and I did our own thing.  They were okay with it…but Breanna decided she needed to talk to her class at school about Grampa.  You see…they have this “Kids that care club” and have been making cards for soldiers and teenagers in the area who are sick.  (She has an AWESOME teacher with a great big heart!).  Breanna decided that since her grampa was sick and in the hospital that they should make him some cards too.  She says, “Mom, we ARE the kids that care and that is just what we do!”.  I loved it.

So the next couple days her class worked on these cards.  She brought them home on Thursday afternoon.  I had a speaking engagement that night and the kids stayed with some family so that Bryan could go to the hospital.  After my speaking engagement I went out for a bite to eat with my mother in law ( it was her birthday) and told her about the cards.  She told me that might just be one of the nicest things anyone had done for Grampa!!  When I got home late that night Bryan told me how the cards made his grampa smile!  He truly loved each one of them.

Friday night was spent with family at an awards ceremony for my nephew and then out to eat!  We all went home after a long day!  Well….my sweet husband got up early Saturday morning.  He left to go get his oil changed and then was going to go by the hospital to see his grandfather since he hadn’t been the night before.  But before he was gone long, I got a message from his father to have him call.  Bryan called in tears to tell me his grampa had passed earlier in the morning and he was coming home.  When I asked if he wanted me to tell Breanna before he got home (Bryce was at his cousin’s) he said whatever I thought and wanted to do ( which was code for “please do cuz I don’t think I can handle it”).  So I took her on my lap and we started to talk.

I told her that Grampa had passed away a few hours before.  She asked what happened…….did his heart stop or did he just run out of breaths?  🙂 I told her I wasn’t sure.  I told her that he had really loved the cards she and her “club” had made for him though.  I told her she got to live the rest of her life knowing that in the last days of his life, she had made his heart smile.  She just smiled……and then she got this worried look on her face.  She said, “But mom, most of the cards said I hope you get better soon.”  I sat there and in my mind was trying to form the words to explain to her that he did get better and was completely healed….only it was on the “other side”.  Before I could finish my thought though…..she smiled….and she said….”He is better!  He is ALL better because he is in heaven with Jesus!”.  To which…….tears poured down my face and I just looked at her and said….”You’re awesome!” …..  Again she smiled and told me thank you.

I love it that she “GETS IT!”!!!  She knows where grampa is and that God decided to heal him on the other side of this life.  Later in the morning I told her I was sorry.  When she asked me what for…I just said I am sorry to have to tell you about Grampa.  To which my wonderful, eight year old daughter replied…….”It’s okay mommy.  It’s just part of life!”

SHE IS SOOOOOO MY DAUGHTER!!  I love that! 

Anyway……this week my children had to experience their first funeral.  I am so thankful that we know that Grampa had surrendered his life to Christ and we could celebrate not only his life but rejoice in the knowledge that we will see him again.  I explained a lot.  What they do with the casket…what they were going to see…..why we had to sit and listen to songs….  but the one thing they already knew…..  was that because of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus…..we have hope.  Hope that we will see our loved ones again….. Hope that we can be completely healed one day from anything that ails us……. Hope that we can share with others this same hope and love while we walk on this earth….

You never know…just whose heart you might make smile.  And you never know…if it just might be their last…………….~c