"Yes, baby, he did."
"I'm so glad he is in Heaven. He was so loving and he loved us so much. I'm going to miss his love so much!"
Me too.
I have always known my Grandpaw was an extrovert. ANYONE who met him or heard of him could gather that. But with him, it went so much deeper than just being energized by being around people (although he was, even to his last days). Grandpaw decided people matter, people are worth something, and the value of investing in people is an immeasurable return.
As far as the world's standards, he didn't have a lot of money. But this past week, I saw my Grandpaw die a wealthy man, launching a legacy so full of love and proclaiming one important message: LOVING PEOPLE IS WORTH IT. It's worth the time. It's worth the heart. It's worth the energy. It's worth the sacrifices. It's worth holding on for one more hug, one more kiss and one last reminder of the most important relationship of all... our eternal one with Jesus.
I know without question that he knew how much we loved him, without us having to tell him, and I am certain that the future will hold days when I wish I could call and talk to him one more time, or ask him one more thing, or hear his laugh or see his smile one more time. But I am so thankful for the chance to tell him one last time that we loved him.
We, his family, had the privilege of having sweet moments with him in his last days. My siblings and cousins came into town and joined my parents and aunt and uncle, and his wife, and his sister, and nieces, and friends, and pastors, and even the nurses and doctors. We all received the gift of his final days. A gift of hearing special things like how much he loved us, how proud he was of us, instructions for how to do things and what to do about other things (ha! if you knew him, you know he couldn't let the opportunity pass to instruct about one more thing!), and he told us how much he loved and trusted Jesus. We received the gift of honoring him and telling him how much we loved him and how thankful we were for his legacy. And we said goodbye.
What a loving, kind, smart, God-centered, family-oriented, RICH man! I'm so honored to be a part of his heritage.
(A lot of pictures have been shared amongst family this week so I'm not sure whose is whose is whose. If you'd like to claim credit, just email me ;).
Related Posts:
Another Grief Observed on Airplanes (my dad's blog)
What an awesome, loving man your grandfather was. I know you all miss him, so, but knowing he is with the Lord is such a comfort.
ReplyDeleteMay God bless you all with his healing grace and reassurance, Carrie.