Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant

This was the sunset that welcomed my Grandma into heaven.

On July 2^nd, 2016, I humbly walked to the front of a Lutheran Church in a small town in Iowa and spoke about the life of my 97-year old grandmother at her funeral on behalf of my mom’s family.  It was a great privilege and honor to have been asked to represent our family.  My heart’s desire was to speak words that would make my grandma proud – which would be words that pointed to Christ.  It was only through the power of the prayers my friends prayed over me that I was able to make it through without breaking down.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another…We love because he first loved us.

~1 John 4:10-11, and 19~

The apostle John wrote these words in his first letter to the Believers in western Asia. These three verses from 1 John chapter 4, are among some of my grandma’s favorites, and I am confident that she lived out these words daily – understanding that her love for others was all because she was loved by her Lord and Savior first. She loved the Lord with all her heart and with all her soul and with all her strength and with all her mind; and she loved her neighbor as herself (Luke 10:27), not because she was trying to earn anything, but instead because of the overflow of God's love through her.  She allowed her Father's love to be poured out through her, as she obediently loved others.

My grandma understood that she could never earn God's love but that it was freely given to her through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, so that she could give it away to others - and she did.

Born into a missionary family in Madagascar, she watched her parents love those learning about Jesus for the first time.

She invested countless hours serving and loving others throughout her 97 years.

She served in several churches, first as a pastor's daughter; and then after she was married, she served her churches as the pastor's wife - a role she swore she would never have!  And by her example of loving others, she helped many in these congregations experience God’s love in practical and tangible ways.

She served her husband and her six children faithfully, loving them through her selflessness – often times putting their needs above her own wants and desires.

She served and loved her community - and especially enjoyed serving at Opportunity Village in their store.

And I know firsthand how she loved her grandchildren - investing in each one of us countless hours of prayer and tea parties - boys and girls alike looked forward to tea parties with Grandma.

My grandma will never know on this side of heaven how many lives she touched through her willingness to show Christ's love to others.  But when Christ flows through you, like it did through her, I am confident that there were many who saw something in her kind eyes - who were transformed by the love of Jesus.

The night before she passed away, as three of her children sang hymns for her, she mouthed the words that had brought her comfort and peace and promise for so many years.  When they had finished, my mom checked her phone only to find a beautiful picture of Jesus.  At that moment, my grandma reached her arms out to an empty space in the room – where we are sure she also saw Jesus.

Less than 24 hours later – on Father’s Day – my sweet grandma went to be with my Grandpa, her own father, and her Heavenly Father, and I can’t think of a better day to be welcomed into the loving arms of the Father.

My mom shared with me my grandma's wishes that her funeral service be all about Jesus - because she knows that even in her death, she can be a light shining toward heaven.

Thank you, Grandma, for loving others so well and serving us all faithfully.  Your example serves as inspiration for me to love others sacrificially, just as you loved others, and as Christ has loved us. You are loved forever through the legacy you have left behind for your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  Thank you.

My sweet grandma and girlies when we visited with her 11 days before she passed away.

The picture my mom was looking at when my grandma reached out her arms to Jesus.