Warren Coates (1922-2007)
My grandfather passed away about two weeks ago. Last week I went back down to Phoenix for his memorial service.
Ever had someone close to you die? It's really strange... it keeps presenting itself to your brain over and over in different ways, the fact that this person is truly gone. It's really hard for the mind to totally grasp. It takes some time. For instance, when I went down to Phoenix, I brought my wireless router to plug into their network so I could access the internet from anywhere in the house on my laptop. Then I had the automatic thought, "I should be sure to ask Grandpa before I do that since the computer is his thing." Then it hit me again that Grandpa could care less about the computer or my wireless router. That's what I mean. It keeps slapping you upside the head.
I've heard it said that death is a part of life. I think this is a really silly thing to say. Death has nothing to do with life. It is all about not being alive. That's the definition of death. Fortunate for the believer (and that includes my Grandpa!) this death is but a small death, a little thing, not to be feared but welcomed as the launching point into a whole new realm of experience where we get to meet our Maker face to face. Scary and exciting.
I was able to spend some time with my Grandpa during his final week on the earth. He talked about how he had been walking and talking with Jesus, and he was ready to go and be with him. He didn't want any more chemo, he didn't want to be resuscitated with a tube down his throat. He was ready to be with God. And who could blame him? He had the privilege of leaving behind his old diseased body and getting a brand new one! His final day on earth, last Saturday, he mentioned that the song "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" had been in his head all day long. And when we sang that hymn at his memorial service, the presence of God and (I'm pretty sure!) my Grandpa filled that place. Would Father allow someone to attend their own memorial service to witness their friends and family honoring their life? Seems right.
Love you Grandpa. Rest in peace.
posted by Timothy @ 7:00 AM
4 Comments:
My condolences to you and your family, Tim. Your grandpa sounds like he was a great man.
It's strange, isn't it, that the only sense of eternity humans can experience on earth is in the death of a loved one. Nothing we encounter in life means "forever." But when we come upon death, we bump into "never." Never again on earth will I see this person. Thus, through never we understand forever for the first time.
Tim, I too offer my condolences. I have not experienced the death of a family member. But a good friend of mine passed after a freak boating accident two years ago. Whenever I see a white van that looks like his work van I still find that I sometimes think, "I hope that it's Mario, so I can wave."
It's just as impossible for that to be realized as I thought the news of his passing was when I heard it.
I long to see my friend and hear him laugh again. But you know, I will, when God wills it.
When you finally see your grandpa in heaven, you'll be able to finally ask him about his funeral, and you know what Tim? He'll tell you just what you want to know.
Thanks for sharing that Tim. I can only relate to such an experience as what my brother previously shared.
No more striving and no more suffering. He has entered inexpressible joy; something we all long for on earth and may catch glimpses from time to time, but he has entered it forever.
Our condolences to you, Tim. What a blessing that you were able to spend time with your grandfather and now have the memory of a relationship with him. He sounds like a wonderful man. (We look forward to meeting him one day!)
My (Rachel's) great aunt, who was like a grandmother to me, passed away several years ago. The nurses who tended her shared that, in her last moments, she sang hymns and spoke of rolling green hills. I remember how comforting it was to know that she passed into eternity with a sense of peace and joy. Your description of your Grandpa's passing reminded me of that. John & Rachel
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