A few years ago, more than a few actually...I was visiting with my Grandma.
My cousin had just given Grandma a gift, a beautiful dress. Grandma loved the dress, but preferred it be just a little longer. Since I sew, my cousin and her Mom, my Aunt, asked if I would take the dress home with me and see if I could find some nice black fabric, and figure out a way to make the dress more to Grandma's liking.
So I did.
I took the dress with me. I searched for the perfect fabric.
BUT
I couldn't find anything that would work with this very elegant dress. The material it was made out of was very nice and expensive, I knew the wrong fabric paired with it, would only ruin the dress.
So, the next time I visited my Grandma, I explained my dilemma. She told me not to worry. And she simple said, "Just hang onto it..."
And so I did. I have hung onto the dress through two moves. It has been in my closet, protected under a plastic bag. Brand new with tags, never worn. I've had several garage sales, but never once considered selling this dress. I just kept hanging onto it as Grandma had told me to do.
A couple years passed and dear Grandma was taken home to be with the Lord. The dress at the back of my closet still, I was still hanging onto it, just like she had told me.
Fast forward a few years.
My precious Papa's health took an extreme turn for the worse just a few short weeks ago. My little Momma, cried out for help to her family. She could no longer care for him all alone. We had thought...it is time, Dad needs to be placed in a home. Momma has done all she can, she is not a quitter, but she has done all she can and she has to have more help. She has pressed on, even when we ourselves thought she couldn't do this anymore a few years ago.
And so as it always is, God's ways are not our ways.
God had a different plan in store for these two precious saints of His.
He knew how heart-wrenching it was to our little Momma, to have to consider this option. She did not want him there, with the onset of Dementia we all would worry about him, "will he get everything he needs?" "Are they going to honestly take good care of him?" We know, nursing homes do the best they can, but for a person who cannot even push a button to ask for help, where would that leave him?
Late one night, Momma couldn't sleep. She went in, to check on Papa. Our little sister, who is also an RN, was there, staying with them. Jen and Papa were awake and had been talking. Papa had told her, he knew Momma was tired, and that she needed help. Not long after, Momma came into the room. She and Papa talked heart to heart...she explained how she is not a quitter, that she loved him dearly and she had to have help in order to continue to care for him.
Papa then told her and our sister, "I am so tired...I just want to go home. I want to go home and be with Jesus." Tears were shed. Hearts were torn. Papa's life was coming to an end.
A Doctor's visit revealed that a nursing home was not what Papa was in need of. Instead...the Doctor explained all of the health issues our Daddy was dealing with, his body was shutting down. Papa was placed under In-Home Hospice Care. He would get to stay home. He would go home in dignity, surrounded by the love of his family and beautiful bride of 55 years.
Our times by his bedside were bittersweet. We knew the glory that awaited him, but saying goodbye was and is so very hard.
Ever since our little Momma cried out for help, our God comforted her in the most amazing ways. Every time a need arose, God provided. He proved His faithfulness over His little saint time and time again.
One morning, when we knew Papa probably only had hours left, Mom wanted to discuss what we should consider for his burial attire. That was hard, but it was something we needed to discuss. That was when I knew, she was thinking ahead and did not want to be caught off guard, not prepared.
I asked her to sit down, and proceeded to tell her the story of this dress. The dress that Grandma had told me to hang onto, the dress that was exactly her size. Tears filled her eyes, when I brought the dress to her. God had provided a need for her, something she didn't even have to worry over or try to go and find for herself. A gift given to her through the years from her own Mother, at this very difficult and hard time of her life. Her own Mother had experienced God's tender care in her own life when Grandpa went home to be with the Lord. And now our Momma was also experiencing the preciousness of our Father's gracious hand in so many little details as He poured out His love and grace during these very hard days.
He is faithful. He is trustworthy,
He is kind and He is good.
There is no other god like our God!
Our Papa went home to be with his Lord and Savior-
March 6, 2013.
He is now resting...he is at peace,
experiencing perfect joy, love, grace and mercy.
He is home.
The night of our Papa's passing, we were in the room with him, singing his favorite gospel hymn's and praise songs. We witnessed a saint going home.
The heaviness in our hearts was immediately replaced with sweet peace, the peace that passes all understanding.
God let us taste just a bit of that true joy,
that our dear Papa was experiencing...
the moment his faith became sight.
