Mar 8 - "Precious and Faithful"

Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.”

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You never know how your day is going to change in an instant.

Yesterday, I was sitting and talking with my good friend Stephen at the hospital, while his wife, Kristine, was in surgery (It went well and although she is in pain, she is on her way to recovery. Please pray for Kristine’s healing.) When Stephen and I have time together, I try to ignore the constant barrage of emails and calls that come to my mobile phone so we can focus on the Word, prayer and encouraging each other. But, my phone rang, I glanced at it, and it was my Dad calling.

The words he said to me yesterday on that call still hurt: “Grandma Bonnie passed away this morning.”

A bright shining light in my life and in the lives of many, many people, flickered and quietly...peacefully...went out yesterday morning. I am so sad; my heart is broken. But I am also filled with joy that I was able to know this amazing woman for my whole life. My life is better and richly blessed by her love and care for me. I am so filled with joy that she is in Heaven today, singing with the angels and praising our Living God.

Many memories come to mind when I think of her. Her “growling” (our family knows that one well), her vegetable soup, her love of buttermilk, her sharp wit, but especially her loving heart. Whenever I talked with Grandma Bonnie or saw her, I would always tell her, “I love you.” Her response to this, every time, was, “I love you more.” Although love, by definition, is infinite and perfect when used in the way she spoke it, I truly believe she loved me more. She showed it every day and in every way.

The wonderful blessing that of Love is that we always have more. Love makes room. Even though our lives are filled with people whom we love, there is always room for more. It’s not as if we are given a finite supply, which must be parsed out sparingly to make sure we don’t “run out” of it at some point. Just this past Saturday, our family was blessed with a new baby; Alice Ruby Rosen was born to my sister Abbi and her husband Ben. I got to meet Alice Ruby yesterday and I already love her. Even though I love many people, I am able to love her, and my love for others is in no way diminished. In fact, by adding another “loved one”, the love for others is built up in some small, but miraculous way.

But, because love makes room and allows us to bring people into our hearts, when these people leave us, an empty space remains. This is our pain, our hurt. The tears I shed yesterday and today while I write this, come because of the empty space now in my heart because I will not see her again until we meet at the end of my earthy life. The empty space is what causes us the sorrow and grief associated with our loss.

I know that, blessedly, her love is still with me and with all of us. By Grandma Bonnie saying to me, “I love you more”, she was telling me that the love she had for me was enough for myself, but I could also have some left over to give to others. The extra love she gave me was for me to pass on. I am able to love because I was shown great love by her.

Yesterday was filled with so many blessings of Love. I did not expect to be with my sister Jessica (who offered up this verse from the Psalms to us); I did not know I was going to see my Mom and Dad, or my brother. I did not plan on talking to my friend Dave, to ask for the phone number of his parents,who were good friends with Grandma Bonnie. But even these unexpected things, how my day was changed, are blessings caused by the life of Grandma Bonnie. Had she not been in our lives, none of these things would have come to pass yesterday.

The image that keeps coming to mind for me, is Jesus standing and smiling with arms open wide, welcoming her into Heaven. And, right behind Him, just off to the side, her husband, my Grandpa Al, who left this world 31 years ago today, waiting to welcome her too. As Jesus steps to the side, they run to each other and dance...as my Dad says, “the basketball player and the cheerleader”...laughing and loving, filled with joy to be together once again.

So, today dear friends and loved ones, join me in praising God for the life of Bonnie Lucy Wilson. The world is a better place, that she, a most faithful servant of God, was in it. And although we are sad that she is not with us here on earth any more, we rejoice that she is in Heaven with our Lord and with her husband Allen Clifford Wilson, whom we also remember today. Please join me in honoring her by loving...and loving more!