Saturday January 10, 2009

Grandmother with my Cousin Adam.  Christmas 2006

   My Grandmother Allred went home to be with the Lord on Wed. January 7th.  I’m so grateful for the Lord blessing me so richly in my family especially with my Grandparents.  All four gave me a spiritual heritage.  Now 3 are at home with Christ.  Grandmother Allred was a blessing to me.  She struggled the last few years with her health but it did not make her bitter.  Her faith was strong.  The funeral was very personal and a huge blessing.  My cousin Wes and a friend did a hymn duet on trombone and piano.  The pastor of her church (Beck’s Reformed in Lexington, NC) shared verses from old and new testaments that described Grandmother’s live and faith.  He entitled his sermon “A Blessing Life.”  He described how Grandmother bless others with cards, letters, calls and conversations.  He described how she thought of others above herself and how she loved serving Christ.  I’m so thankful for the years the Lord gave me with Grandmother.  Mom asked me if I wanted to share at the funeral.  I said yes and immediately asked the Lord for help in what to say and the strength to say it.  I wrote out a rough draft Thursday.  Friday morning I had my quiet time and then headed to a coffee shop in King (Foothills Juice & Java).  I got my cup of hot apple cider and sat down at my Mac and revised the document.  As I stepped up to the podium Friday afternoon, I trusted the Lord to speak through me and He did.  The whole service was a blessing that exalted Christ, honored Grandmother, and celebrated that through Christ we will be reunited in heaven.  We even have a DVD of the service.  Afterwards family and church friends gathered for a meal.  It was a blessing to catch up with people from Grandmother’s (and most of my Mom’s family) church that I know from the weekend I spend with them every year.  I really enjoyed taking Grandmother up to John’s River every year.  She was a godly woman and I will miss her.  I’ve posted the text of what a said at the funeral (although the Lord added to it).

Thank-you all for coming and for all your support and prayers for our family.

I want to praise the Lord for Grandmother.  She was a blessing to me and I’m sure to you.  I hope I speak for Wes and Adam in much of this.  Growing up I longed for the weekends, especially John’s River Weekends, and weeks during the summer that I was able to spend with Grandmother and Granddad.  The made me feel special and loved.  I knew that my visits, calls, cards and letters were priceless to them.  Grandmother’s cards and calls meant the world to me.    She had a ministry and she blessed so many with it. 

I learned from them that time spent with family is a gift from God and is to be cherished.  I saw their work ethic, their gentleness and their quiet and strong faith.  It has inspired me  walk after them in these things 

During the last few days, so many verses of scripture have been coming to mind.  But I feel lead to share one.
I Peter 3:15 says  to “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; “  I saw this modeled out in Grandmother and Granddad’s life.

Today is not an easy day for us.  But we can rejoice that this parting is temporary because of Her faith in Christ and the hope we have as believers.  We morn the loss of direct communication with Grandmother and her presence here with us.  But we look forward to being reunited with her again in heaven.
I love you Grandmother!