It was three weeks ago today that Dad called saying it was becoming clear that Grandpa's time on earth was drawing to a close... So Mary and I drove down immediately. We had the privilege and rare opportunity to be with our Grandpa during the last week of his life.
When we arrived, Grandpa was still in the hospital. Then on Tuesday he was discharged for hospice care at home until he passed the following Monday. Mary and I stayed with Grandmom and Grandpa all that week ~ and what a blessing it was to us. We were able to sit with him, talk to him, sing to him and pray with him, hold his hand... and boy, did he have a grip!! He wasn't able to open his eyes much (he did every now and then), and certainly couldn't talk, but the one way we felt some sort of connection to him was through his grip. He loved to hold our hands. As the week went on, his hand became more withered and weak, but even two days before he died he still had a good grip. Amazing. The very last full day he was with us, he wasn't able to open his eyes at all or grip at all. We knew the time was near.
But the special thing about that last full day - Sunday - was how the whole family was gathered around him. Jenny with Jason (her youngest), Nomie and Scott and all six kids, me, Mary and Rob, Mom and Dad, and of course Grandmom. After lunch we all gathered in the living room around Grandpa's bed ~ singing and praying and sharing memories. His favorite hymn was How Great Thou Art, so we sang that of course along with many others. It was a sweet, sweet time. I will never forget it.
And then that night, between 1:00 and 3:00 on Monday morning, he slipped off into eternity. Mary had been with him administering morphine on a regular basis (to help make breathing comfortable and in case of pain), and when she got up for the 3:00 a.m. dose, he was gone. She texted/called/woke us all up, and we came to his side - Grandmom, Jenny, Mary & Rob, Mom & Dad, and me.
My first reaction when I saw Mary's text message saying that he was gone was, "Praise the Lord! Thank you, Jesus, for taking him home! Thank you, Lord! Hallelujah!..." He was no longer stuck in an old, deteriorating body. He was free from the bonds of this world and was now wholly with his Savior. What a beautiful, beautiful thought! Jenny and I got ourselves together (we were staying in The Welcome) and came in... And then I saw him. And it hit me. He was lying there, so still. He was so peaceful. I kissed his hand and, later, his forehead. Here was my Grandpa. My Grandpa. I've known him my whole life. I have so many memories of him - so many I can't count them. He's my Grandpa. And there he was, his body vacant and completely still. No breath. No rising and falling of the chest. Just utter stillness. It was such a precious moment; I can't even fully describe it. The tears flowed and flowed.
It's not like I wished he was back. I mean, he was 93. His body was tired. It was time. But the tears flowed from the realization that I was witnessing a precious moment. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Precious. Precious. And he was now in the presence of Jesus. What a thought! What a beautiful, amazing, precious thought! And it wasn't just a thought... it was reality. Wow.
That morning, as the family sat there with his body, prayed, sang, wept and rejoiced, a heaviness lifted from all of us. I didn't expect to feel that. There was much about the experience of watching my Grandpa die that I didn't expect to feel. But that morning it was as if a birthing process was over. He was, at last, birthed from the created realm into the eternal one, and we could rest. So could he. :)
The hospice nurse came; the funeral home people came; and within a few hours Grandpa's body was taken away.
We cried so much that morning; but we also laughed. We cried and cried, and laughed and laughed. Watching them take his body away was painful and tender. The thought of Grandpa being with Jesus was precious and amazing. And just as Grandpa made us laugh so many times throughout his life, humor and laughter flooded us... because of the hope we have! His life wasn't over; it was just beginning! And we will see him again. All that release of emotion was a healing balm to our souls.
I went back home that day. Grandpa's memorial service was planned for the following Sunday afternoon, and during that week I put this little slideshow together:
Jeff and I returned to Lexington that next weekend for the service. When we arrived at Mom & Dad's cabin at lunchtime on Saturday, Mom gently told me more family news: my Grandma on the other side of the family (her Mom) had unexpectedly passed away in her sleep the night before! Eleanor Enlow was 92 and still living on her own, just down the street from my aunt and uncle. She wasn't sick. Her body just gave out. What a wonderful way to go!
So our family had Grandpa's service on Sunday afternoon, and then we made the trek down to North Carolina on Monday - the Schneiders, Mom and Dad, and Mary and me. Grandma's viewing was that Monday night, and her burial service was Tuesday afternoon. It was healing to have that closure; it was also good to spend time with that side of our family. Uncle Phil, Aunt Sue, Tanya and Chloe... and Uncle Rog, Aunt Carol, and Jimmy were all there. Funerals are sad, but they are also a neat sort of opportunity to have an unexpected family reunion. I love that, and I love my extended family. They are such neat, godly people!
Both George Decker and Eleanor Enlow were in their 90s and had known the Lord intimately from their youth. I have been given an amazing legacy. George Decker's first wife, Gladys, died in 1984. Eleanor Enlow's husband, Elmer, died in 2006. All four of my biological grandparents were godly people, passed on their faith to their children and grandchildren, and are now with Jesus. We are so blessed to have had them all in our lives.
And now I have one grandparent left: JoAnn Decker! :) She is such a godly, sweet, joyful, faithful, loving, servant-hearted woman. She served my Grandpa so well throughout their marriage (which began in 1986), but especially in the last years when his body was slowly deteriorating. She is a woman to be emulated. Thank you, Grandmom.
Now... life goes on! Jeff and I leave tomorrow for a 12-day trip to California! He has business in the Los Angeles area over the next two weeks, and I am tagging along. With a few days off between work obligations, this is turning into a fun, nearly-free vacation for us, and I am very much looking forward to it!! I'll be posting pictures and stories from our trip in a couple of weeks!
Until then, God bless and keep you all. :)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Grandpa
Grandpa is about to slip into eternity... It looks like it will be a matter of days until he is in the presence of Jesus. That is an awesome thought. We are all filled with such grace and joy because we know where he is about to go! Grandpa is 93 and has dementia, so he doesn't respond much when we try to talk to him or ask him questions. His body is shutting down, he's not eating or drinking anymore, and he is sleeping almost all the time. Today he'll be transported home from the hospital, and hospice care will begin. Mary and I are in Lexington now, and we are hoping to be able to stay here until he passes.
He has known the Lord for 77 years. What a legacy! And what a privilege to be one of his granddaughters.
He has known the Lord for 77 years. What a legacy! And what a privilege to be one of his granddaughters.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Another Shelving Project Update
Jeff (and I) have been sick lately (we're both all better now), so the shelving project went a weekend or two without much progress.
This past weekend, however, it started to become 3-D! It's so fun to see it take shape. I'm told by the carpenter that this little section took a long time to construct, because he's figuring out how to do it as he goes along. The next sections of shelves will go more quickly since he'll have the process already figured out...
This past weekend, however, it started to become 3-D! It's so fun to see it take shape. I'm told by the carpenter that this little section took a long time to construct, because he's figuring out how to do it as he goes along. The next sections of shelves will go more quickly since he'll have the process already figured out...
Bathtime for Allie
So a week or so ago Allie needed a bath.... She had needed one for some time, so one Saturday I took it upon myself to clean her (and Jeff took the opportunity to take a few shots documenting the experience). And it's actually really fun! We give her a bath in the upstairs hall bathroom. She's not allowed upstairs typically, so whenever we try to get her to come up, she knows exactly what's coming. Then she cowers under the table until we coax her out. I've learned to just pick her up and head upstairs -- always making sure I've let her out first so she doesn't pee all over me (which she tends to do when she's nervous)...
So I carry her up the stairs and into the bathroom and I shut the door (or else she will bolt). I put her down while I get the water running and the shampoo ready... Then I coax her into the tub, which she usually does on her own (with enough coaxing, that is). And then.... the poor thing just stand there and shakes while I suds her up! And yes, I make sure it's warm water!! She just shakes when she's nervous. All the time I soothingly tell her what a good girl she is... and laugh at her...
After the suds are all washed out, I turn the water off and begin to towel her dry. (This is when Jeff snuck into the bathroom with the camera.)
She's so sweet!!
...and so pathetic in her wet curly hair.
Down the stairs I carry her...
...back to her little spot in the kitchen. She couldn't figure out why her bed was missing, even though we told her it was in the washing machine. We were hoping this towel would do in the meantime...
After a bath she usually just lays there, completely still, snuggling in her spot until she is dry. Too cute!!
So I carry her up the stairs and into the bathroom and I shut the door (or else she will bolt). I put her down while I get the water running and the shampoo ready... Then I coax her into the tub, which she usually does on her own (with enough coaxing, that is). And then.... the poor thing just stand there and shakes while I suds her up! And yes, I make sure it's warm water!! She just shakes when she's nervous. All the time I soothingly tell her what a good girl she is... and laugh at her...
After the suds are all washed out, I turn the water off and begin to towel her dry. (This is when Jeff snuck into the bathroom with the camera.)
She's so sweet!!
...and so pathetic in her wet curly hair.
Down the stairs I carry her...
...back to her little spot in the kitchen. She couldn't figure out why her bed was missing, even though we told her it was in the washing machine. We were hoping this towel would do in the meantime...
After a bath she usually just lays there, completely still, snuggling in her spot until she is dry. Too cute!!
Friday, March 11, 2011
The Episcopal Church
Ok ~ so a little more about St. Peter's Episcopal Church from last Sunday...
This is one thing that really impressed and surprised me: On the inside of the bulletin (well, it's more of a booklet, since there are so many readings and such to follow along with), this is what it said:
Prayer Before Worship
Use the time before the liturgy, when the church is quiet, to pray.
Here are some things to pray for:
1. Jesus' powerful, healing, life-changing presence
2. Those gathering to worship, that they meet God today
3. Our guests, for whom this is all new, that they feel at home
4. Our clergy, that the Holy Spirit speak powerfully through them
5. All the ministries of our church, that God will guide and empower them to transform people's lives and the world
Can it get any more genuine than that?? I love it!
And here is their vision, printed on the back of the booklet:
To be a City on a Hill that Cannot be Hid: Praising God, Seeking the Lost, Welcoming All, Growing Together, Sending Servants, Changing the World.
One of my favorite parts of the service was the "peace be with you" time of greeting one another. We were genuinely and warmly and even enthusiastically welcomed by folks who just had the love of Jesus coming out their pores. How neat to find that in a liturgical setting!
Is anyone else as surprised as I am to find these things in an Episcopal church?
This is one thing that really impressed and surprised me: On the inside of the bulletin (well, it's more of a booklet, since there are so many readings and such to follow along with), this is what it said:
Prayer Before Worship
Use the time before the liturgy, when the church is quiet, to pray.
Here are some things to pray for:
1. Jesus' powerful, healing, life-changing presence
2. Those gathering to worship, that they meet God today
3. Our guests, for whom this is all new, that they feel at home
4. Our clergy, that the Holy Spirit speak powerfully through them
5. All the ministries of our church, that God will guide and empower them to transform people's lives and the world
Can it get any more genuine than that?? I love it!
And here is their vision, printed on the back of the booklet:
To be a City on a Hill that Cannot be Hid: Praising God, Seeking the Lost, Welcoming All, Growing Together, Sending Servants, Changing the World.
One of my favorite parts of the service was the "peace be with you" time of greeting one another. We were genuinely and warmly and even enthusiastically welcomed by folks who just had the love of Jesus coming out their pores. How neat to find that in a liturgical setting!
Is anyone else as surprised as I am to find these things in an Episcopal church?
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Metamorphosis
You know, I (Sylvia) have been going through somewhat of a spiritual metamorphosis over the past ten years or so. I grew up in my dad's church - Community Christian Fellowship (aka The Fellowship). Those of you from that era of my life know the simplicity and genuineness of that wonderful body of believers. We loved the Lord, and we loved each other. We got rid of meaningless extras and focused simply on what we believed the Bible called us to and sought a genuine encounter with God.
In 2001 I moved down to West Chester and started going to Covenant Fellowship Church, which is part of Sovereign Grace Ministries. I learned more about Reformed theology and was saturated by their focus on the cross.
In 2004 I began my year-long China adventure. Surrounded by believers from all over the world at the international church in Shanghai, I grew in appreciation for the ways other Christians lived out their lives of faith. Although the services were all in English, from time to time we sang songs in other languages ~ and how neat it was to all sing to the same God, embracing our cultural differences! I remember looking around in my cell group one time and noticing that gathered there were believers from the U.S., Canada, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Africa, France, New Zealand, the Philippines ~ and I might even be missing a few! It was a rich time of learning and growing with people I never would have had the opportunity to fellowship with had I not gone to China.
When I came back to the States in late 2005, I went to live with Mom & Dad. By that time they were running the B&B in Lexington, VA, and were attending the VMI Chapel, so I went with them. What a fabulous, genuine fellowship of believers! Some VMI cadets came, of course, but also a faithful contingent from the community to support what God was doing on post. I eventually grew into the role of song leader which was a wonderful opportunity for me to grow in my musical gifts under the warm, encouraging, joyful leadership of the Chaplain.
When I left Lexington in 2008, I went to live with Mary & Rob and began attending a small charismatic church nearby. During this time is when I began dating Jeff, who comes from more of a conservative background. Growing together with him involved finding a church we both liked in his area. So, some Sundays I was at the church near where I was living, and some I was with Jeff, exploring different churches in northern Virginia. (Neither of us really liked the church he had been attending, although he had had legitimate reasons for going there. It was time to move on, though, once I was in the picture.) Throughout our "church shopping" process, I was faced with working through the issues of what make a particular type of church worthwhile attending, which church environments were healthiest for me, which lined up with biblical truth, etc. While I loved the people at the charismatic church in Maryland, I became very frustrated with the way charismatic churches in general do things. I started to question their approach. One Sunday I just sort of hit a wall. I had had enough and left thinking how much I'd like to visit a liturgical service somewhere, just to get a taste of what's on the other end of the spectrum. I longed for awe and reverence ~ qualities lacking in many churches today, in my opinion.
Jeff and I did visit an Orthodox Presbyterian church... which was exceedingly boring. (Surprise, surprise.) So I more or less gave up on the liturgical idea, and Jeff and I eventually settled on Blue Ridge Bible Church here in Purcellville. Its forte is the people; we walked in and immediately felt like part of the family. There is real love, real fellowship, real body life. But unfortunately, there are some things about the church which we can't align with. We're seeking to put those issues aside as much as we can in the interest of maintaining fellowship with them... but the issues are sort of getting bigger. So, on the Sundays that I don't serve on the worship team, we sometimes visit other churches.
Today was one of those Sundays. This past week we were researching churches online, and I said that for a while now I've wanted to visit an Episcopalian church - I wanted to see what a liturgical service was like. Because of known issues within the Episcopal denomination, we were both skeptical. But we found our local Episcopal church's website and were pleasantly surprised! Not only did they seem to embrace an evangelical and a real we-want-to-encounter-God approach and a desire to grow, but the rector has a video right on the website's homepage addressing one critical issue we had been on guard about. He boldly, yet graciously, distanced himself from the denomination in order to stand fully on what the Bible so clearly declares.
So we went there this morning... and wow! What a refreshing new experience! There was too much starch in the rector's collar, but other than that...... :) There was an attitude of reverence throughout the worship service; but at the same time it was a relaxed atmosphere, surprisingly. We saw genuine, joyful love among the people. And we were warmly welcomed and engaged in meaningful conversation afterward. And the best part was - the message was really short! Hee hee...
Jeff and I haven't suddenly decided to become Episcopalians or anything (although Jeff may still be one from childhood... lol), but our wheels are turning. We've witnessed a totally different way of having "church", and I must say, it was a pretty neat experience! I've got more to say, but I'll save that for another post.
Thanks for reading!!
:)
In 2001 I moved down to West Chester and started going to Covenant Fellowship Church, which is part of Sovereign Grace Ministries. I learned more about Reformed theology and was saturated by their focus on the cross.
In 2004 I began my year-long China adventure. Surrounded by believers from all over the world at the international church in Shanghai, I grew in appreciation for the ways other Christians lived out their lives of faith. Although the services were all in English, from time to time we sang songs in other languages ~ and how neat it was to all sing to the same God, embracing our cultural differences! I remember looking around in my cell group one time and noticing that gathered there were believers from the U.S., Canada, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Africa, France, New Zealand, the Philippines ~ and I might even be missing a few! It was a rich time of learning and growing with people I never would have had the opportunity to fellowship with had I not gone to China.
When I came back to the States in late 2005, I went to live with Mom & Dad. By that time they were running the B&B in Lexington, VA, and were attending the VMI Chapel, so I went with them. What a fabulous, genuine fellowship of believers! Some VMI cadets came, of course, but also a faithful contingent from the community to support what God was doing on post. I eventually grew into the role of song leader which was a wonderful opportunity for me to grow in my musical gifts under the warm, encouraging, joyful leadership of the Chaplain.
When I left Lexington in 2008, I went to live with Mary & Rob and began attending a small charismatic church nearby. During this time is when I began dating Jeff, who comes from more of a conservative background. Growing together with him involved finding a church we both liked in his area. So, some Sundays I was at the church near where I was living, and some I was with Jeff, exploring different churches in northern Virginia. (Neither of us really liked the church he had been attending, although he had had legitimate reasons for going there. It was time to move on, though, once I was in the picture.) Throughout our "church shopping" process, I was faced with working through the issues of what make a particular type of church worthwhile attending, which church environments were healthiest for me, which lined up with biblical truth, etc. While I loved the people at the charismatic church in Maryland, I became very frustrated with the way charismatic churches in general do things. I started to question their approach. One Sunday I just sort of hit a wall. I had had enough and left thinking how much I'd like to visit a liturgical service somewhere, just to get a taste of what's on the other end of the spectrum. I longed for awe and reverence ~ qualities lacking in many churches today, in my opinion.
Jeff and I did visit an Orthodox Presbyterian church... which was exceedingly boring. (Surprise, surprise.) So I more or less gave up on the liturgical idea, and Jeff and I eventually settled on Blue Ridge Bible Church here in Purcellville. Its forte is the people; we walked in and immediately felt like part of the family. There is real love, real fellowship, real body life. But unfortunately, there are some things about the church which we can't align with. We're seeking to put those issues aside as much as we can in the interest of maintaining fellowship with them... but the issues are sort of getting bigger. So, on the Sundays that I don't serve on the worship team, we sometimes visit other churches.
Today was one of those Sundays. This past week we were researching churches online, and I said that for a while now I've wanted to visit an Episcopalian church - I wanted to see what a liturgical service was like. Because of known issues within the Episcopal denomination, we were both skeptical. But we found our local Episcopal church's website and were pleasantly surprised! Not only did they seem to embrace an evangelical and a real we-want-to-encounter-God approach and a desire to grow, but the rector has a video right on the website's homepage addressing one critical issue we had been on guard about. He boldly, yet graciously, distanced himself from the denomination in order to stand fully on what the Bible so clearly declares.
So we went there this morning... and wow! What a refreshing new experience! There was too much starch in the rector's collar, but other than that...... :) There was an attitude of reverence throughout the worship service; but at the same time it was a relaxed atmosphere, surprisingly. We saw genuine, joyful love among the people. And we were warmly welcomed and engaged in meaningful conversation afterward. And the best part was - the message was really short! Hee hee...
Jeff and I haven't suddenly decided to become Episcopalians or anything (although Jeff may still be one from childhood... lol), but our wheels are turning. We've witnessed a totally different way of having "church", and I must say, it was a pretty neat experience! I've got more to say, but I'll save that for another post.
Thanks for reading!!
:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)