My Grandma Jesse

My grandma Jesse died tonight. She was 96 years old and really the events surrounding her death were pretty good. She began to really struggle health wise a few months ago but recovered. This gave us all a warning sign that maybe she wouldn’t be with us much longer.

Our family took the hint and we drove down to south Georgia to see her two weeks ago. We had a great visit. When we got there around 11 am she was just getting up. She was walking around fine and talking with complete clarity just like my Grandma Jesse. We spent several hours together before she got tired and needed a nap. I covered her up on the couch and she dozed off. When she woke up we spent another hour or so with her and then we said our goodbyes.

My mom traveled down there 4 days ago and has been with her through the weekend. She told me tonight that she had a feeling she needed to check on Grandma so she went in and spent the last few moments with her as she breathed her last breath. As far as “goodbyes” go we could not have asked for more.

However, none of this changes the fact that death sucks. It is so much a part of our human experience that we forget that it isn’t a part of God’s Kingdom. Death is a result of sin – always has been and always will be. Death is NOT natural to God’s agenda. And yet it effects us all so much that we think it is “just a part of life” so we have to deal with it… NO! I won’t just accept death as a part of “the way things are.” Because that is NOT how they should be. I won’t just accept death as a part of “the way things are” without remembering that death is actually a defeated enemy. This is why Jesus’ resurrection is so important. It brings life from death. The cross took care of our sin, but death still remained – the resurrection laughs in the face of death and defeated it once and for all.

My Grandma Jesse had received that forgiveness and life. She is fully experiencing life with “no death” tied to it at the end. She was a faithful follower of Christ. She told my kids during our visit “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know the one who hold my future.” And they got it.

But for me there is still a little regret. For the last 10 years my world has been full of many things that did not include regular time spent with my Grandma Jesse. It is just the way it is – holidays and vacations were the extent of my time with her. Some of this was due to prioritizing other things, but much of it has been because of the mission and ministry that God has called me to pursue. It is all consuming just as Jesus said it would be in Matthew 19.

Jesus replied, “…everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19

My Grandma Jesse understood. Right before I left her house, I went into her bedroom and spoke with her. These were my last words and her last words to me,

“Grandma I am sorry I haven’t spent much time with you over the last 3 or 4 years.”

Grandma Jesse: “It’s all right, I know you have been doing the Lord’s work.”

“I love you”

Grandma Jesse: “I know it”

“I love you”

Grandma Jesse: “I love you too”

“Goodbye”