My grandfather is one of the most godly men I've ever known. He is not perfect, but he'd be the first to tell you that. If I had to pick one word to describe him, it would be gentle. Not a wimpy sort of gentle, because up until recent years, he was a very strong man, with great endurance. He served in World War II, he worked long hours to support his growing family, and yet still found time to plant and tend a garden, serve as deacon, enjoy hobbies such as woodworking, and be a good husband, father, and friend. He worked as hard as necessary to do whatever needed to be done. He is gentle (also translated as "meek") in the ways Christ tells us to be gentle. In a Bible study I did a few months ago by Kay Arthur, she shared this definition:
About a week ago, Grandaddy moved into my aunt Beckie's house. My grandmother was unable to properly care for him, and his health was rapidly declining. As of last Monday, he was still able to get out of bed and sit up a while, go sit out on the deck in the fresh air, walk short distances with the help of a walker. Now he cannot sit up at all, even for a few moments, he cannot walk even to the bathroom, he cannot eat more than a bite or two of food, and he cannot fully catch his breathe due to the progression of his chronic emphysema. His wish is to die at home, not the hospital or a nursing home; my mom and her siblings are doing their best to honor his wishes, and are all helping do all the many things that need to be done for him. It is so hard to see such a formerly strong man unable even to feed himself.
But it is not a situation of despair.
There is hope in that bedroom. There is joy and peace. Not happiness, but joy, which is much different and comes from knowing Christ rather than depending upon circumstances. Since last weekend, that house has been full of folks coming in and out, saying goodbye. This is one of the many times I am so very grateful that the vast majority of my family lives nearby. My aunt Beckie's house is just a 1/2 mile from here; my mom is literally a "stone's throw" from there. My uncle and most of my cousins live and/or work within 10 miles or so from here. As I sat in that bedroom last night, an aunt was lying on the bed holding Grandaddy's hand, and later massaged his legs and feet with lotion. Someone else was running errands that needed to be done. My uncle had spent the afternoon with him, and was still visiting in the kitchen. One of my cousins was getting ice water for him, and one of her sons was adjusting the fan to keep him comfortable. More cousins and kids were in the living room. There were four generations in that bedroom. And all the while, there was palpable love and hope amongst the occasional tears. Windee told a story about Grandaddy going down Sliding Rock in North Carolina and how funny it was to see him. That got a smile out of Grandaddy. Granmama talked about how they used to dance all over the dance floor and people would stop and tell them how great they were. "Dancing with the Stars" was on TV, so Beckie told him to pay attention so he could teach us some new dance moves soon, and said she remembered him teaching her to dance. The preacher had visited earlier, and Grandaddy had given instructions for his funeral. We talked about all the people he was going to get to see in heaven: all his brothers and sisters; his parents; many friends, and his first family--a wife and three children. We've had him with us so long; this August would be my grandparents' 65th wedding anniversary. But he made and kept vows to another woman before that, too. He and his first wife suffered the loss of their oldest boy from leukemia (he was a toddler at the time, I think) ; their second son died a few hours after birth; and his wife was pregnant when she died from tuberculosis. I believe all that tragedy in his young life made him appreciate life--and the rest of his family that came later--all the more.
This has been hard on Kathryn, but we've talked about how Grandaddy will get to be with Jesus soon, and see all that family that passed on before. That he won't be limited by the old body he has now. As a nature study project, we are currently "growing" butterflies, and she has been reading about how they will soon spin a chrysalis and later emerge from that chrysalis as beautiful butterflies. We talked about how our earthly bodies are like that chrysalis: it serves its intended purpose, but will one day be useless and we'll leave it behind to fly to Jesus, like butterflies.
That is my Grandaddy.“meekness is NOT weakness but incredible power under the control and guidance of God Himself.”
About a week ago, Grandaddy moved into my aunt Beckie's house. My grandmother was unable to properly care for him, and his health was rapidly declining. As of last Monday, he was still able to get out of bed and sit up a while, go sit out on the deck in the fresh air, walk short distances with the help of a walker. Now he cannot sit up at all, even for a few moments, he cannot walk even to the bathroom, he cannot eat more than a bite or two of food, and he cannot fully catch his breathe due to the progression of his chronic emphysema. His wish is to die at home, not the hospital or a nursing home; my mom and her siblings are doing their best to honor his wishes, and are all helping do all the many things that need to be done for him. It is so hard to see such a formerly strong man unable even to feed himself.
But it is not a situation of despair.
There is hope in that bedroom. There is joy and peace. Not happiness, but joy, which is much different and comes from knowing Christ rather than depending upon circumstances. Since last weekend, that house has been full of folks coming in and out, saying goodbye. This is one of the many times I am so very grateful that the vast majority of my family lives nearby. My aunt Beckie's house is just a 1/2 mile from here; my mom is literally a "stone's throw" from there. My uncle and most of my cousins live and/or work within 10 miles or so from here. As I sat in that bedroom last night, an aunt was lying on the bed holding Grandaddy's hand, and later massaged his legs and feet with lotion. Someone else was running errands that needed to be done. My uncle had spent the afternoon with him, and was still visiting in the kitchen. One of my cousins was getting ice water for him, and one of her sons was adjusting the fan to keep him comfortable. More cousins and kids were in the living room. There were four generations in that bedroom. And all the while, there was palpable love and hope amongst the occasional tears. Windee told a story about Grandaddy going down Sliding Rock in North Carolina and how funny it was to see him. That got a smile out of Grandaddy. Granmama talked about how they used to dance all over the dance floor and people would stop and tell them how great they were. "Dancing with the Stars" was on TV, so Beckie told him to pay attention so he could teach us some new dance moves soon, and said she remembered him teaching her to dance. The preacher had visited earlier, and Grandaddy had given instructions for his funeral. We talked about all the people he was going to get to see in heaven: all his brothers and sisters; his parents; many friends, and his first family--a wife and three children. We've had him with us so long; this August would be my grandparents' 65th wedding anniversary. But he made and kept vows to another woman before that, too. He and his first wife suffered the loss of their oldest boy from leukemia (he was a toddler at the time, I think) ; their second son died a few hours after birth; and his wife was pregnant when she died from tuberculosis. I believe all that tragedy in his young life made him appreciate life--and the rest of his family that came later--all the more.This has been hard on Kathryn, but we've talked about how Grandaddy will get to be with Jesus soon, and see all that family that passed on before. That he won't be limited by the old body he has now. As a nature study project, we are currently "growing" butterflies, and she has been reading about how they will soon spin a chrysalis and later emerge from that chrysalis as beautiful butterflies. We talked about how our earthly bodies are like that chrysalis: it serves its intended purpose, but will one day be useless and we'll leave it behind to fly to Jesus, like butterflies.
