I won't even try to match the job Jennifer and Amanda did in sharing about Mama's funeral. Go here for Jennifer's post and here for Amanda's. You won't regret it! The girls's reflections on both Mama's life and death are very special to me.
Rather than a coherent essay, please indulge me as I revert to the "random list" mode.
- God's timing is perfect, as always. No one can write a good script for death and parting, because we would always extend the narrative. But there is a right time for each of us to leave this world, and we should note that Mama arrived in heaven that morning in time for the early service. She LOVED church, and she will hear singing and praises now that none of us can even imagine. She'll be an active participant, too, not a passive observer.
- If I had lost Mama at almost any other point in my life, I think the parting would have been far more painful. But our many days and hours spent happily together from last spring until now were rich and joyful. There was nothing left unsaid between us--of course Mama even knew my unspoken thoughts. I'm happy to carry on a part of her life in my own, because her faith and love extended to others are her greatest legacy.
- Mama must have been thrilled to see the outpouring of love from her and Daddy's families as well as friends during our visitations. Aunts, uncles, cousins, some of whom we hadn't seen in 20 or 30 years came from near and far to mark Mama's death and celebrate her life. It was a great blessing to me to see these relatives and to begin to reestablish some ties. I will make an effort to nurture these bonds in the days ahead.
- Mama must also have been so pleased with the music at her service. Bill Calloway, First Methodist's organist played a marvelous array of her favorite hymns. Warren and Leah Calvert played the wordless Ashoken Farewell on guitar and fiddle. Sometimes words are not needed. Then Warren accompanied on guitar as Brian Weatherby played string bass and sang Friends Like You. You may recall my words about Brian and Warren on a recent blog post about my Camp Cherokee reunion. I am delighted I now have the link at which you may hear MP3s of that song and ALL their great songs. Go here: Courthouse Creek. Go NOW. Do it! You'll thank me.
- Prior to the funeral, we had observed a weather forecast which seemed to make a rainy day inevitable. But NO! Even with a 90% rainy forecast, after early showers, we needed neither windshield wipers nor umbrellas from late morning until almost 5:30 that evening. I believe almost all of our guests were safely home before things changed. We had left the graveside to dine out as a family and returned to Prospect Cemetery to see if the gravesitehad been completed. Workers were still at their task, though, when raindrops began to fall. So we headed back to the funeral home to pick up several articles. Then Mama must have had a good laugh. The heavens burst forth with a sudden storm of hail! Amazingly, we were all at the rear of the funeral home for loading, and we were able to swing all four of our vehicles into the empty bays that often held hearses and limousines. We watched the bounding hailstones as lightning crackled and thunder boomed from all directions. We thought we had a safe vantage point to witness the lightshow, but upon hearing we were under a tornado warning, we headed inside. (I'm not making light of these storms-- there were 10 confirmed tornadoes in Georgia that evening, and much loss of property. Thankfully, only one life was lost, and it could have been even more devastating). I'm certainly not implying that Mama had control of the weather, but we were reminded God is in control of all things. The rain and the winds are at His command, and He desires that our lives would be, too. Like Mama's.
I'll share more soon, and I also have many other things to blog about, but don't forget to visit the links I mentioned. You'll get a blessing and a ray of sunshine from them all. Keep in touch!
No comments:
Post a Comment