One of our family stories (details may vary based on who tells the story and the number of years the story was shared) Ganmommy asked her nun teacher “what will Heaven will be like?” The nun responded “it will be your favorite things.” Ganmommy thought in her little innocent child perspective and responded with “You mean bicycles and spaghetti?”
Ganmommy as you settle into your forever home with Jesus, I hope you find all your favorite things.
As the littles of our family learn this big life lesson, we are seeing the beauty of having their innocent perspective.
Trey asked his mom if God will make Ganmommy new.
Millie told her mom not to worry, she can call Ganmommy on the phone. When Brig tried to explain why that may not work, Millie responded with a clear plan: when her mom goes to Heaven, she will remember to get the phone number.
Shannon has had some experience in this space with the loss of our Quinlan and the openness with which she and I talk about Heaven. With a father living on borrowed time and a terminal illness, I am determined for her to know the veil between Heaven and Earth can be so very thin, thanks to our Lord and beautiful faith. She understood Ganmommy was not coming back and she cried. She then told me she was not sure she wanted to have a party for her life, if Ganmommy could not be there. And finally she said she wants to go to Heaven too.
There are countless gifts from our Ganmommy’s life and the ways God has revealed himself through her to us all. What a legacy and right now I am in awe with both the complexities of it and also these simple little ways through the kids.
The larger losses in my world have come at times that it is hard to slow down and process. The passing of my other grandmother was in the midst of so much, I did not slow down to capture it and did not want to fall apart by spending too much time in it. I regret that and this moment in time, I seek to change that. In fact much of it has come to the surface with this loss too and a second chance is here. This time God’s calling me to sit in it and capture it, and my answer is yes. These are the blessings of life on earth.
Thank you Lord – amen!
Jackie
Have A Little Faith in We 