22 May A Life Well Lived

It was a Thursday when Grandma died. I awoke to my husband’s kind hand touching me in the darkness. “Laura, your Grandma is in Heaven,” he said. We were to fly to Georgia on Friday to get one last visit with her and say our goodbyes, but the Lord decided to take her, so there would be no parting words.

I spent the day standing between Heaven and Earth. The tangible things that surrounded me faded in and out – the dishes, laundry, appointments and even the children seemed to melt for moments into the background as I remembered this special lady who spoke with certainty and conviction her entire life of an unwavering faith and trust in Christ.

What is it like – to step into glory? To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. She was with Jesus now and I let myself dwell on that encounter. My Grams was a fire-cracker; a beautifully strong and spirited woman who knew when to hold her tongue and when to speak the truth. And, just like a true diplomat, she knew how to put someone in their place and make them smile at the same time.  She didn’t just participate in life, she lived it to the full until curtain call.

It rained all day long and I wanted to stand in it, to let it seep down into my skin, to hear myself breathe in and out and remember my life, too, is but a breath. She had 96 good years. The Bible says the days of our lives are 70 or 80 to those who have good strength, but I think she lasted 16 more on courage and spunk alone.

I wept knowing I never said goodbye. The last thing she said to me before she was unresponsive was that my youngest daughter was fiery and strong-willed because I was, too – so, what did I expect?

And I knew she was implying her own contribution to this temperament when she quipped, “But you know, you turned out alright. It will come in useful for her; No one will ever push her around.“

I got in the car out of sheer necessity. The long rainy day required that I get my kids out of the house, so I took them to the library. On the way there, I heard a song in the car.

Has God ever spoken to you through a song? Sometimes emotions set to music can make me feel like I am holding hands with King David for a few minutes, telling God my whole heart, holding nothing back.

The wipers flashed quick as my radio filled the car with these words:

Give me your heart, give me your song, sing it with all your might, Come to the fountain; You can be satisfied;

There is a peace, there is a love you can get lost inside, Come to the fountain, let me hear you testify. 

And all at once in that moment I saw my Grams before me. She was young and vibrant once again, standing beside the River of Life in Heaven and drinking up the water with an insatiable thirst.

Finally, her thirst for life was quenched. Finally, she was satisfied.

All her deepest needs were being met in the person of Christ and in the place of Heaven.

And I let myself weep as I heard her “goodbye message” to me through that song on the radio:

“Come to the fountain, Laura! Live your life for the Lord and live it with all your might! Let me hear you testify of how satisfying our God really is!“

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses that I don’t think about very often. Their life stories beckon us to let go of hollow pursuits , empty pleasures and false comforts, embracing the satisfaction of a life lived for Christ and for Heaven.

Grandma reminded me of this truth that this world is only my temporary home. In her last years, she was like a woman at a train station, ready and waiting for her ride to come in. She was ready to go to her eternal home and yet she kept on blessing the people around her until her time came.

It’s her first week in Heaven and I know she’s having a blast. I’m so excited for you, Grams! Thank you for your example of unwavering faith and insurmountable joy in the midst of pain, trials, and suffering. I miss you dearly, but I know I will see you someday. Until then, save a place for me at the table.