we were in the back to school mode. our countdown/prayer chain was made. school supplies were bought. uniforms were ready. i was in in-service. grace was a huge helper!
we were eating well balanced meals of grilled cheese sandwiches.
we were in full swing back to school mode. friday morning, i was getting ready for my parent meeting, a introduction to my classroom and the kindergarten year with 19 sets of anxious parents who are entrusting me with their precious 5 year old, when i received a text from my mom.
my pawpaw was in the hospital and they had decided not to intubate him. well, i knew what that meant. i tried to hold myself together and i did, sort of. i have absolutely no idea what i said during that parent meeting. those poor parents probably thought..."great! we got the looney teacher!" my sweet friends and co-workers helped me get my things together and encouraged me to leave and go to the hospital. i'm so thankful they did and that i went.
all morning. all day. i prayed. but, all i could ever get out was "Jesus." that was it. i could never pray a complete thought. then, i would get frustrated because now, was the time to pray hard and all i could say was "Jesus." my heart had so much to say, but "Jesus" was all that would come out. when i arrived at the hospital, my mom and dad, mawmaw, brother and sister in law, uncle and friend, and mawmaw's nurse helper lady, Bobbie, were all there. we stood around and talked and cried and laughed and sat for awhile. then we circled around pawpaw and my sweet, strong brother somehow managed to pull his emotions together and prayed over our pawpaw. my mom prayed aloud too and maybe others did. but, what blessed me the most was Bobbie. there she stood, behind mawmaw, holding her and whispering in her ear, "Jesus. Jesus. Jesus." that's when God reminded me that there is power in the name of Jesus! and, Jesus is ALL that we need! and, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." {Matthew 18:20} Jesus was there with us! a few minutes later, pawpaw was dancing with Jesus on streets of gold!
the next few days were full of emotions and busyness. grace and carter man were definitely hurting. this was the first person in their lives that they were close to who had passed away. we kept the conversations open and we talked about how pawpaw was in heaven with Jesus. his mom and dad and brother and sister were all there waiting on him. he was probably swapping hunting stories with king david, sharing fish tales with jonah, and no telling what he was telling noah about building that ark. pain? it was all gone. he wasn't hurting anymore and he could finally eat some yummy food again!
this was hard. we loved him a bunch and we are going to miss him. my pastor said, "it hurts so much because we loved so hard." that's the truth and i'm so thankful for this pain because it means that i was loved and that he was loved. he loved a bunch!!! he didn't speak about Jesus to me, but his life was more like Jesus' than most people i know. pawpaw loved. he was a servant, a hard worker, and a lover. love defined him.
but, he was loved too. by a wife, 3 kids and their spouses, 6 grandchildren and their spouses, and 12+ great grandchildren.
what better way to celebrate that love, but with a conga line, of course!
i will always remember how much pawpaw loved me and i will never forget that there is power in the name of Jesus.
No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.
{Jeremiah 10:6}
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
{Philippians 2:9-11}
for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
{Romans 10:13}
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