A Rich Life
It will be three weeks on Monday since my sweet Gram passed away. I’ve been wading through waves of grief, tears of joy, and just about every other emotion in between that comes with this journey. She left this earth and went HOME to be with Jesus!!! I rejoice knowing she is pain and disease-free, but losing her here on this side of heaven is hard.
As we prepared to celebrate her life two weekends ago, my sister and I (along with others) were asked to speak at her celebration. It was what Gram wanted… if we felt comfortable enough to. My first thought was fear. Fear of people seeing me at my most vulnerable state. Fear of crying in front of all those people. Fear of not being able to actually speak because my emotions would get in the way. As I sat with those feelings and started to share with those closest to me about my doubts, I received a common piece of encouragement… what an honor it is to speak at her celebration. Over and over, friends & family shared those words. And they were right… It was an absolute honor!!
As Janie and I sat down to write about our sweet gram’s life, we knew we wanted to share a few key things we had learned from her. Things that she taught us just by how she lived her life. You see, gram lived a simple life. She didn’t have a massive platform, radical ideas, or revolutionary fervor but she knew the truth... That doing the ordinary things for God would lead to a RICH life.
And I’m not talking about being rich with money (although she had enough to get by), No, I’m talking about a life FILLED with everything money can’t buy. She had love (lots of it), joy (the kind only Jesus can bring), peace (a steadfast trust in God’s promises), patience (even when us grand babies were wild & unruly), kindness (to everyone she met), gentleness (that quiet strength), goodness (the sweetest soul), faithfulness (all of her life), self-control (even in the hardest of times).
As we remembered her and her life, these were 10 things that we shared at her celebration, so I wanted to share them here as well. On this blog we talk about being encouraged... I can’t think of a person who lived a more “encouraged” life than my sweet gram, Dolly. Even though you might not have known her, something brought you to this page. I’d like to think that God had something to do with that. I hope her life and how she lived it will encourage you today… I know she sure encouraged mine.
Coffee is good all day reheated in your favorite mug or fresh from the pot.
Love is a verb so show up, no questions asked.
Care for the flock God has entrusted to you.
Open your kitchen for a place to gather and serve others there.
Standing on a Coleman cooler always makes washing dishes more fun.
Bow your head to pray.
A meal can only be enjoyed after the final verse of Johnny Appleseed.
Live a life that points others to Jesus.
I’ll be darned, you better offer your guests some apple cake.
Do the ordinary things: Serve in a local church, stand on the truth, share the gospel, love people.
