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My Grandmothers death, what a beautiful experience
You had to have been there tonight as my grandmother lie dying on a hospital bed to begin to grasp what I'm saying here, but I am going to do my best to explain it to you. I've never experienced anything like it, and I'll be turning 40 this December. I received a call from my mother this afternoon letting me know that it appeared that my paternal grandmother Hazel would not make it much longer after having been admitted to the hospital for congenital heart failure a few days ago. While not a total shock, we didn't expect this to actually lead to her death so soon.
I jumped in my car and drove the 60 miles or so to the hospital to see her and family gathering around her intensive care bedside. I knew she was a believer, with a strong and confident faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, but I never expected that when I arrived, what I would see would bless me spiritually in such a way that I think I can say has never happened to me prior.
First, while uncomfortable, and in some pain, she seemed very content almost happy even. She didn't seem sick, though she did look it, and while clearly near the end, was almost the “grand ma” I've always known. She immediately joked about me being heavier, and needing to dye my gray hair! She asked me if I was still having thoughts of becoming a pastor and when I told her that I was she said “then get over here and pray for me!” She sang hymns, witnessed to lost relatives who came to see her (taking their hand, addressing them lovingly, giving them a simple gospel message, and telling them they need to repent, change their ways, and follow Jesus”). I saw very lost loved ones break down in tears promising her they would take her words to heart. She would say something like “Now I know it's not going to start right now, or maybe not even tomorrow, but as you think about these things and pray, even a little, you can give your heart to Jesus”. I have a very lost uncle (my grand mothers daughters husband) that some might even say is cold hearted and mean who fought back tears and gulped hard several times as my grand mother took his hand and said “You know if you don't change this will be the last time you see me because you can't go where I'm going”.
She talked about all of our need to pray more and how that can be one of the hardest things a Christian must learn to do, but told us all to do it every day even if just a few words to start. She talked about each of our needs in her opinion, and how we all needed to get in and stay in Church. She asked for family members to witness to other family members and for her sisters to continue to witness to certain friends she's been witnessing to for many, many years, giving them their names. She told us we could not cry, but that we could be jealous, for family to take her seat in Church that she's had for over 50 years and for whoever sits in it to make sure they say “Amen and praise the Lord” after the choir sings. She made every visitor promise her for them and their family to be in church tomorrow morning, some of them she made promise her several times and asked if they remembered their promise a few hours later. She told her pastor that tomorrow he must praise the Lord for her passing!
When I left she was still with us, but asking my dad “Bub (his family nick name) when is the Lord going to take me home? I'm ready to go now.” My dad told her he didn't know but that the Lord knew best and maybe there were others she had to talk to yet. She smiled but said again that she was ready to go now. There we're over 15 family members there when I had to go around 8 pm and there is no doubt in my mind each of them we're blessed by a dying mother, grand mother, great grand mother, sister, aunt, etc. more than many, if not all, have ever been before. She preached and witnesses like a dying person to dying people. I found myself wishing every lost person I knew could have been there tonight. Thanks gram, I'll see you again.
You had to have been there tonight as my grandmother lie dying on a hospital bed to begin to grasp what I'm saying here, but I am going to do my best to explain it to you. I've never experienced anything like it, and I'll be turning 40 this December. I received a call from my mother this afternoon letting me know that it appeared that my paternal grandmother Hazel would not make it much longer after having been admitted to the hospital for congenital heart failure a few days ago. While not a total shock, we didn't expect this to actually lead to her death so soon.
I jumped in my car and drove the 60 miles or so to the hospital to see her and family gathering around her intensive care bedside. I knew she was a believer, with a strong and confident faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, but I never expected that when I arrived, what I would see would bless me spiritually in such a way that I think I can say has never happened to me prior.
First, while uncomfortable, and in some pain, she seemed very content almost happy even. She didn't seem sick, though she did look it, and while clearly near the end, was almost the “grand ma” I've always known. She immediately joked about me being heavier, and needing to dye my gray hair! She asked me if I was still having thoughts of becoming a pastor and when I told her that I was she said “then get over here and pray for me!” She sang hymns, witnessed to lost relatives who came to see her (taking their hand, addressing them lovingly, giving them a simple gospel message, and telling them they need to repent, change their ways, and follow Jesus”). I saw very lost loved ones break down in tears promising her they would take her words to heart. She would say something like “Now I know it's not going to start right now, or maybe not even tomorrow, but as you think about these things and pray, even a little, you can give your heart to Jesus”. I have a very lost uncle (my grand mothers daughters husband) that some might even say is cold hearted and mean who fought back tears and gulped hard several times as my grand mother took his hand and said “You know if you don't change this will be the last time you see me because you can't go where I'm going”.
She talked about all of our need to pray more and how that can be one of the hardest things a Christian must learn to do, but told us all to do it every day even if just a few words to start. She talked about each of our needs in her opinion, and how we all needed to get in and stay in Church. She asked for family members to witness to other family members and for her sisters to continue to witness to certain friends she's been witnessing to for many, many years, giving them their names. She told us we could not cry, but that we could be jealous, for family to take her seat in Church that she's had for over 50 years and for whoever sits in it to make sure they say “Amen and praise the Lord” after the choir sings. She made every visitor promise her for them and their family to be in church tomorrow morning, some of them she made promise her several times and asked if they remembered their promise a few hours later. She told her pastor that tomorrow he must praise the Lord for her passing!
When I left she was still with us, but asking my dad “Bub (his family nick name) when is the Lord going to take me home? I'm ready to go now.” My dad told her he didn't know but that the Lord knew best and maybe there were others she had to talk to yet. She smiled but said again that she was ready to go now. There we're over 15 family members there when I had to go around 8 pm and there is no doubt in my mind each of them we're blessed by a dying mother, grand mother, great grand mother, sister, aunt, etc. more than many, if not all, have ever been before. She preached and witnesses like a dying person to dying people. I found myself wishing every lost person I knew could have been there tonight. Thanks gram, I'll see you again.
