My Grandpa

I've wrestled with how to write this post...to share just a bit of the journey this past week... so I'll just include an excerpt from an email I sent to the school of worship telling them I'll be returning late from spring break...

Hey, just wanted to let you know my grandpa passed away Saturday night. I've been in the no internet land of southwest virginia making the arrangements the past couple of days. We are planning to have a service there for family and friends this upcoming Saturday night and then his burial on Monday at a military cemetery in Northern Va.  I'm not sure of my final plans yet, but I won't be flying back to Colorado until after the burial Monday or Tuesday.

But I also wanted to share that God has been prepping my heart for this before I even came to New Life. I really felt last summer that I needed to see my Grandpa one more time before I left, and he ended up coming to visit over the 4th of July holiday. My last memory of him is my grandpa playing old country tunes and hymns with my two year old nephew sitting next to him eating cake.  I found out this past Thursday before I got on the plane to come home that Grandpa had been diagnosed with lung cancer and was going into hospice.  He was brought back to VA from a hospital in Tennessee on Saturday. I was at a church two and a half hours away, talking to them about possibly coming for a summer camp and planned to go see my Grandpa on Sunday to say goodbye.  God told me pretty directly on Saturday that his timing is perfect, which didn't make sense until my dad called me that night with the news.  I was close enough in distance to drive down to be with my dad to make all the arrangements, and shielded from having my last memory be one of pain and sadness.  I have met waitresses at the local Shoney's and neighbors and a few relatives that loved my grandpa so much and heard a few stories. Not many people knew we were there and the news was only starting to make its way around. When I think of all the other weeks and times this could have happened, to have happened when I was not only home, but so close...God's timing is perfect.

Prayers are awesome, but please don't be concerned, we are celebrating the life of a guy who loved Jesus, music, and all the crazy people we've been meeting. It's pretty awesome.  I'll let you know more definitely when I am getting back next week.

 

 

My heart is full....overflowing with gratitude for God, family, and supportive friends...we are headed back down to Grundy in the morning.... to show little Nate the "steep mountains" and the little playground with a swinging bridge (not sure if I'll cross it yet...safety first!) and shopping at Magic Mart, eating at Shoney's and Long John Silvers and ending in a sweet remembrance of our bluegrass man, Grandpa Cox.  There is beauty in the ashes, happiness in the memories, and lots of tears and laughter along the way. Be well my friends, I love you all too.