Sweet memories that last forever...

A month ago tomorrow my sweet Grandma Gerri left this earthly world and went to go 'dancing with Jesus'.  It's a very surreal feeling.  In some sense it feels like just yesterday she was holding Maci, smiling and saying sometimes off the wall things to us.  And then in another sense it feels as if it was such a long time ago that we had to say good-bye to her.  Honestly it probably feels like such a long time ago because let's face it, in today's world life quickly moves on.  There is a house to care for, children to keep in line, money to be made, events to plan, and just the plain old everyday fast paced life our generation has grown accustomed to.  While the family continues to mourn in the privacy of their home, friends and family move on and forget that one might still be hurting. 

As Christians we know that there is a much better life after our time here on earth, but that doesn't take away the fact that someone we loved and shared our lives with has left us.  We will never get to hug them, kiss them, tell them we love them, call them up on the phone ever again in this world.  Fact of the matter is, losing someone, even when you believe you will see them again in heaven, still hurts. 

Every week, at least once, I have thought back to a question the pastor had asked our family before the funeral procession.  He looked out at us and asked, "Would anyone like to speak at all?"  We all just kinda looked around blankly and shook our heads no. Even though I am not one to get up and speak in front of a crowd, I'm still a little regretful that I didn't get up and say yes.  Maybe I would have stepped up to the plate had he not asked 5 minutes before we all  had to walk in behind our beloved Mom's/Grandmother's casket.

The funeral was as wonderful as a funeral can be.  But there were also people there I had not met. Extended family members that lived elsewhere and we weren't close with.  Some that maybe hadn't seen Grandma for awhile.  They knew of course how much Grandma obviously had been loved by us, but I wanted them to hear the stories of what she meant to us. 

I have thought about what I would have said many times in the past month.  Obviously can't go back and redo any of it.  If I could, I would go further back so that I could hold my last hug with Grandma a little longer and a little tighter.  I have no idea why the words keep going through my mind.  Maybe I just need to say it for my own personal reasons or who knows maybe there is a different reason I can't see right now. 

My grandmother was a strong, beautiful, feisty, loving woman.  She said what was on her mind and didn't care who heard.  There are many times I remember hearing words come out of her mouth that shocked me and I would say, "GRANDMA!".  She would look at me and say, "Well it's MY opinion, I can say it if I want."  Those times bring a smile to my face now, because it was who she was and she didn't change for anybody.  :)  The days before she died beloved memories I had with her would come to my mind.  The Friday nights I would spend over at her house and she would lay in bed scratching my back with her long painted fingernails until I fell asleep; late nights staying up watching "I Love Lucy" on Nick at Nite; all the Christmas' that her living room was filled with all of us crammed into the living room to see what she bought us.  The most memorable time for me was one day I was at her old house on Rice Street and we decided to make mac 'n cheese for lunch.  I can't remember how old I was but I must have been pretty little because I remember having to stand on a stool to stir the noodles for her.  I must have made the wrong move because it ended in my arm getting burned from my elbow to my wrist.  Grandma had no idea what to do and in some crazy thought, she decided it was best to bring me into Lewis Drug and ask the pharmacist what to do with it. :) Good intentions of course.

Whether it was a day spent with her granddaughter catching butterflies or Grandma giving her grandson some money to run across the street to buy some candy at the Liquor store she created a lasting impression on all of her family.  She raised 4 wonderful children, including a set of triplets during a time when triplets were completely uncommon. She spent hours on the phone with her daughter-in-law when us kids were just little.  She loved my husband dearly and often told me how handsome he was.  She loved my baby girl and all of her great-grandchildren deeply.

She packed a lot of life and a lot of love into her 86 years on this earth.  Her life was greatly intertwined with ours and the bottom line is, our lives will not be the same with her gone.  We still miss her and we of course still love her, but we have hope and joy in knowing this isn't good-bye.  Grandma we will see you again.  Just keep dancing with Jesus until we get there, just make sure to save a dance for us. :)

 

The Family who loved Geraldine Grimlie 

(minus Maci of course)

I {insert name} take thee....

This past weekend I got to stand up at the altar with a sweet friend from middle school as she married her prince charming. :) It very much was a magical day and I must say she looked just like a princess out of a fairy tale.  I do admit it was a very surreal experience.  As I saw her walking down that aisle images of us sitting in the bleachers in our middle school gym during volleyball practice and laughing with friends in our high school ad room flashed through my mind.  We are all definitely growing up and those years are obviously behind us.  It is such an awesome feeling though, knowing how head over heels in love she is and how this man is helping make all her dreams come true. 

The Pastor shared a message that hit me in a way I didn't think it would.  Usually when you go to a wedding, at least the ones I have been to, the Pastor shares stories he has about the couple or takes some scripture and creates a very generic message that could be related to anyone really.  But this message was one I was clinging to every word of.  I will try to give a good shorten version of it, but either way the message is pretty dang good.

The story involved a married couple that had decided to get all dressed up in their wedding attire and take a photograph every year on their anniversary.  On their 5th wedding anniversary the couple was all ready to take the photograph and this year they were struggling financially.  Bills were hard to pay, one of their kids was having medical problems, the furniture was old and worn, therefore they couldn't hire a professional photographer to take this years photo.  As they were getting ready to take the photograph they ended up holding hands and repeating their vows all over again.  While they were saying those promises to each other, the words for richer or for poorer flashed in their minds along with those bills they have laying on the table. 

At 15 years, they were better financially, but before the photographer arrived the couple got into a fight and harsh words were said.  Knowing the photographer had already left the studio, the couple went up to the attic, got out those wedding clothes, and put them on.  When the photographer arrived, the couple wasn't into it.  As they were getting posed into position, the couple got caught up in the moment and as they held hands started saying those promises to each other yet again.  This time the words for better or worse flashed in their minds along with the image of the fight just a few moments prior. 

Flash forward yet again to 47 years of marriage.  The couple has aged considerably.  The wife suffering from arthritis, ect.  The wedding dress has yellowed and the husband's suit doesn't fit like it used to.  As they got into position again and held hands those promises came from their lips and as they held hands, the husband felt his wife's knobby fingers and the words in sickness and in health flashed in his mind. 

As I stood there and took in that story, not only did I think about all the beautiful years Brian & Cari will have together and all the tough times they will also experience, but I also thought about how those same vows can also relate to our relationship with Jesus.  It is so very easy to love and worship the Lord when things are going 'our' way, but yet when trouble hits we are so quick to get angry at God for letting this happen to us.  We love Him and obey Him so why on earth would He do this to us?? 

I am very much guilty of this.  When things have gotten really tough I will be the first to admit that I have sat on my bed and yelled at God wondering how could You?? How could You do this to me?? Have I not obeyed you? Have I not loved  You enough? Why would you leave me? 

The thing is we are called to love God for better OR for worse; for richer OR poorer; in sickness AND health.  The only difference is that instead of at the end saying til death do us part, we should be saying forever and ever amen. 

Therefore I challenge all of us to go to the Lord tonight and give Him our solemn vow:

I, Christine Petty, take thee Jesus Christ to be my Savior,

to love & to cherish from this day forward.

For better or worse,

for richer or poorer,

in sickness and health.

Forever and ever amen

It may not be easy but I think we all know how worth it it will be in the end :)

-Chrissy 

 

What God wants...

Well here we go....

For some reason the past several months my mind has randomly gone to blogging.  I've always done some blogs here and there for clients but never anything too personal.  Nothing ever real on my thoughts or things that are weighing on my heart. But lately, probably since the beginning of summer every once in a while the idea of sitting down at the computer and writing out what is on my mind at that moment seemed so unbelievably tempting.  I have often thought it was just because now all the sudden I'm noticing blogging is the new 'in' thing.  I've got a few more friends that do it and if I'm being completely honest I've always been a tad jealous of their talent.  Sitting down and writing out things on your mind and heart is one thing but to sit down, write it all out and then hit the 'post' button so the world can see? Man, I truly believe that takes guts and talent.  Once those thoughts are out there they are totally out there.  Can't take them back and for sure can't erase them from any one's mind who read what you posted.

Therefore anytime the longing to want to try it entered my mind I just brushed it off.  Thoughts like, "Oh they are way better at it than I would ever be" and "I could never do that, I would never say anything of any importance to anyone" would be in my head resulting in my of course not thinking about it again for quite some time.  Yet just because I wasn't thinking about it, I really don't think it ever left my mind.

Today Maci, my daughter, and I went for a beautiful afternoon fall walk.  It was absolutely gorgeous out and I just couldn't resist taking her for a stroll in her stroller and take some time to just enjoy it.  Enjoy the leaves falling, enjoy the little bit of the last warmth from the sun, enjoy the peace and somewhat quiet that is outside.  (Of course there are noises, like cars and kids playing, but to me that is still quiet and peaceful.  When you are indoors a person always tends to have the T.V. on or music, it's never the same quiet that comes from the outdoors.)

The past few weeks have been incredibly hard on our family.  We have had so much going on and so much heartache, that I was so thankful for that walk.  I took that time to just reflect on all that God had done and just spend time with Him.  And of course in the middle of that this whole 'silly' blogging thing came back into my mind.  Really? Really??  I'm having this nice enjoyable walk and THAT enters my mind?? I seriously thought maybe I was going crazy and I just wasn't focusing on God for some reason.  But then I began to wonder....is God telling me something?? Is He trying to tell me that this is part of His plan for me right now?? Is He wanting me to do it for some reason??

As I began to think about that more seriously and question it, I started of course with my same responses.  "I can't do it.  Nothing I could ever write will ever be important to anyone.  No one is going to want to read it.  I'm not good enough"  And then I felt that small tug at my heart and heard that soft voice in my head.  "Daughter, someone needs to hear it.  Someone needs to hear what you have to say.  Someone just might need to know you are going through what they are.  Even if it's just one person it IS worth it."  

Alright let's face it, He's right.  Who can argue with God anyway?? He always has our best interest in mind, and He always ends up being right, even if we don't see it right away.

That original voice in my head, that voice screaming "I can't do it and I won't", well folks I firmly believe that's the devil.  Whenever God tries to tell us something He wants from us, we best believe that soon to follow is the devil feeding us lies and telling us we can't.

So with this very first post....I encourage us all to listen to what God wants of us and to STOP listening to the lies Satan wants us to believe.  Because with God on our side....we can do ANYTHING. 

"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God ALL things are POSSIBLE"
-Matthew 19:26

~Chrissy :)