Memorial Day 2015

Today was Memorial Day at our church.

The church where my late husband is buried.

This is our 4^th one since his death.

It started with getting to hear my daddy teach his Sunday School

lesson as the crowd was gathering.

A lot of family was there. 

As I looked at the vase of individual carnations that the church gives to the families of those who have passed away since last Memorial Day, I silently gave thanks that I am not in my first year and that I was not getting one this year. 

And I prayed for each and every family that did.

The only tears that threatened to fall this year came when I was watching the preacher preach.  He is moving this year.  He is the first preacher of mine that is leaving while we are staying.  As a preacher’s daughter and then as a preacher’s wife, I always moved away with the preachers.  This is the first time I am experiencing a move from this side of the pulpit family.  I will miss him.

My cousin, Patsy, was there and I did not get a chance to tell her but hopefully she’ll read this and smile.  From what she learned when her husband died, she is the one who helped me see hope at the very beginning.  She wrote me a letter that very first week and told me that God would heal my broken heart.  She said she did not know exactly how to explain it but that it would happen. 

And I believed her. 

And I hoped. 

And He did.

Now, I try really hard to tell others the same thing.

Because I know how much it meant to me to hear it from Patsy.

(Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12

As much as I almost hated hearing this verse at the beginning telling me to be joyful when I was in such agony, the verse is true.  When I could remember to try to be joyful in the small ray of hope that I had been given, it would help me remember that, eventually, through patience and prayer, 

hope would make way to full joy again.)

It was a beautiful day.

And, for the second year in a row, the cemetery was not suffocating.

It is actually comforting to stand at his grave as

“Precious Memories” is sung and

actually think of “precious memories”

instead of thinking of the agony that his death caused.

(My maternal grandparents' graves).

 (The keychain my daddy bought me on my 16th birthday.

I have carried it ever since.)

 We had a great meal.

And, as always, the lemonade was delicious.

The thing that I thought the most today was that I am so grateful that

GRACE HAS FOUND ME!

Over and over again,

from the very beginning until today,

GRACE HAS FOUND ME

and brought me forward.

And I thought once again of a song by Matt Redman entitled

“Your Grace Finds Me.”

“It's there in the newborn cry
It's there in the light of every sunrise
It's there in the shadows of this light
Your great grace

It's there on the mountaintop
It's there in the everyday and the mundane
There in the sorrow and the dancing
Your great grace

Oh, such grace

From the creation to the cross
Then from the cross into eternity
Your grace finds me
Yes, Your grace finds me

It's there on a wedding day
There in the weeping by the graveside
There in the very breath we breathe
Your great grace

Same for the rich and poor
Same for the saint and for the sinner
Enough for this whole wide world
Your great grace

Oh, such grace

From the creation to the cross
Then from the cross into eternity
Your grace finds me
Yes, Your grace finds me

There in the darkest night of the soul
There in the sweetest songs of victory
Your grace finds me
Yes, Your grace finds me

Your great grace
Oh, such grace
Your great grace
Oh, such grace

So I'm breathing in Your grace
And I'm breathing out Your praise
I'm breathing in Your grace
Forever I'll be
Breathing in Your grace
And I'm breathing out Your praise
I'm breathing in Your grace
Forever I'll be
Breathing in Your grace
And I'm breathing out Your praise
Breathing in Your grace
Forever forevermore

Yes, Your grace finds me
Yes, Your grace finds me”
*************************************

I am so very thankful for God’s grace!

And if you are new to this path

that none of us ever chose to walk,

please know that God will heal your broken heart.

I do not know how to explain it to you

but I promise He will.

Just hang on.

Hang on!

His Grace will find you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(I’m proud of my kids that they are always part of the clean-up crew!)

After the service and the meal, the youth group held its annual zip lining trip and end of the year party.  The kids had a great time zip lining and I had a great time staying on the ground taking photos! 

It has been a good Memorial Day.

For that,

I am thankful!