Today around 1:30 pm my Uncle Rodney passed away at the VA Hospital in Dallas, Texas. He battled melanoma skin cancer for many years when it reached his lungs. A former pastor of ours used to say of the person who died, that they transferred membership from the Church Militant into the Church Triumphant. Tonight the Church Triumphant has a new member who always smiled, was always happy and always glad to see his family. He will be missed by each of us. I ask your prayers for his wife (my Aunt Peggy), surviving children, grand children, great grand children and siblings.

Psalm 33:29 “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. “

I found myself praying without ceasing throughout most of the day. As we were at the power lifting meet with Travis my thoughts were with my Uncle Rodney’s immediate family, my mom and her sisters and surviving brother. I thought of them when they made the decision to disconnect the ventilator and what a difficult decision that must have been. And then I thought of the time of waiting for them. Waiting and hoping the one you love is not in pain and yet not wanting to let them go and praying for God to be merciful. I prayed for God to be merciful not only to my uncle, but to his family who had gathered to spend those last moments with him and together.

God knows the depth of our sadness and is ready to be our help and shield. God does not always shield us from pain and sorrow, but does promise to have full understanding of our feelings and promises to help us as we walk the earth without our loved one. We never get over the loss of someone as close as a parent, child or spouse, but we can get through it by remembering to wait on God and remembering the joy of the Lord will bring on calmness and peace. The most difficult lesson to learn is the one none of us likes. None of us like to wait. Face it, in our world of instant gratification the art of waiting is lost.

Healing over a loss is far harder than mending a broken leg. Mending a broken heart takes a lot longer, but God loves us so much He is willing to remain with us while we heal. We heal through prayer and belief in this suffering God and relying on His kind and tender mercies. We heal because those who love us stay close by and lovingly care for us. Our loved one may have never been brought to wellness, but they certainly received healing as they were received into the loving arms of the Father. Now, it is our turn to heal. And a new journey begins…

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes, count your blessings and say your prayers. Let us continue to lift one another in prayer each day. Love you all so very much, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.