Promotion to Glory!

This morning we received the news that Kris' Grandma went home to be with Jesus. She has longed to see her Savior for so long now, and it was God's plan that she do just that today. Grandma was 93 1/2 years old! She had her first heart attack at age 40 and was expected numerous times in her life not to survive more heart attacks and other illnesses she had along the way. We called her the "energizer Grandma" sometimes. She did just keep going and going. . . . :-) It was her time to finish the race and to rest now.

Kris and I had the wonderful opportunity of going out to Arizona to see Grandma in March. Someone graciously gave us enough frequent flyer miles to send us and the girls. What wonderful memories we made! We had a better week than we even had planned on or thought possible because Grandma had rallied yet again and could actually do things with us that week. One of the most precious memories with her will always be our trip to Sedona. That was a special place to her, and she had not been there in years. We weren't so sure we should be taking her 2 hrs. away or that she would be up to a big day like that. She was determined to go and seemed to have a burst of energy just thinking about it. She shared so many stories of her time with Grandpa Stephens and the fun trips they had made together as we drove along that day. She talked of her Lord and being ready to go home to Heaven, saying she didn't know why God kept pulling her through different sicknesses and keeping her here. Kris told her it was because God wasn't finished with her yet. She was still constantly encouraging others, being a strong witness and testimony, prayer warrior for the family and others, and pointing others to the Lord all the time. We thank God for the godly heritage He has given.

It is emotional for us as we know that she is the last of the generations before Kris, as he has lost both his parents and now all grandparents. We trust in our sovereign Lord and thank Him for the grace and strength He has given the family to go through each of these deaths. We remember that Psalm 116:15 says, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." So many verses and passages of Scripture flood through my mind at this time and bring such a peace, comfort, and joy that only comes from God. Isaiah 26:3 is one of those. Grandma is home now worshipping her Savior like never before in her earthly state. What an amazing thought to think of praising our Lord with a pure heart and having a non-distracted, sole focus on Him!

I shared with Emma before bed last night that Grandma Lu was not doing well, and God might be saying it is really time for her to be with Him in the next couple of days. She got a little emotional about that and said, "But I don't want her to die." I told her that I understood and that we didn't want her to die either. I also said that Grandma has lived a long life as a godly woman, and we want her to go home to Heaven, not suffer here on earth. Emma had real tears by this point and fell in my arms saying, "Mom, I just pray that I can live that long and be a godly woman for the Lord too!" Needless to say, my tears came, and I just hugged Emma and told her how much I appreciated that sensitivity in her and that we should both pray for God's help in living godly lives. Oh, that life will truly be about Him and His glory!

We appreciate your prayers for the whole family in the next week. I also request prayer for my family as my Aunt Carolyn, only age 53, was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer two days ago and she was found to have many cancerous tumors spread throughout the abdomen in a variety of places, including the liver. Pray for my Uncle Leonard as he has just learned this about his wife, and they have gone through some other difficult circumstances in the last several years. Aunt Carolyn and my mom have been best friends for over 30 years (which is why I call her "aunt"), and mom is very much struggling with this news. My mom's sister, Barb, and her brother, Mike, have also been diagnosed with at least stage 3 cancers in the last year. Each of them is in her/his 50s as well. We had an emotional day yesterday with all of that, and now with Kris' grandma passing away, it's been a lot to take in. Isn't it awesome to know that none of this has taken God by surprise though and that He has a perfect plan? We can truly claim Prov. 3:5-6 and many other verses right now and be assured that God's ways are always best. I saw Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Leonard when we went to Arizona in March to see Kris' grandma. They live in the Phoenix area too. This is another reason that I really want to go this week. I would be able to see them and try to be there for them as they just found out about the cancer and are having a difficult time. Thank you all for your prayers and taking time to read this long post.