This summer and fall have been a
wonderful season of love, loss, and life, sharing so much laughter, tears, and
memories with family and friends. There have been a few marriages, a couple
births, and a funeral that all leave my heart feeling full with the precious
brevity yet significance of our lives. The funeral I attended was for my
grandpa, a private, humble man who loved and cared for his family deeply. He
had a distinct laugh, jolly singing voice, and love for practical jokes. He had
a faith in Christ that he didn’t talk about, but lived out each day and
instilled in his children and grandchildren. I had the opportunity to share a
memory of him at the funeral and would love to share with you what I will
remember most about him.
Romeo
and Juliet, Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, Harold and Marilyn Engberg. While
the first 2 love stories capture audiences because of their flair for drama,
Harold and Marilyn embody a happily ever after rivaled by few in literature.
Whether attending our school concerts, sports games, or napping in twin beds
that were pushed together in the nursing home, they were constantly holding
hands and exchanging looks of love when they thought no one was watching. My
friends often commented on how cute they were as they strolled into ice arenas
or auditoriums, hands locked together, laughing and flirting with one another.
My grandpa loved to make my grandma laugh, pulling practical jokes and teasing
her until her musical laugh bounced off each wall. I believe the secret to
their lasting love was in part due to grandpa’s understanding of Ephesians 5:25
and following, describing the role of the husband in God’s design for marriage.
Paul writes that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the Church,
laying themselves down to make her holy. They are to love their wives as they
love their own body, feeding it and caring for it, just as Christ does for the
church. My grandpa embodied this design in the way that he cared for my
grandma. He tied her shoes when it became difficult for her to do so, he
carried her cushion so she would always have a nice place to sit, and he stayed
within arm’s reach just in case she wanted to hold his hand. He knew that real
men carry their wives purse when it becomes too heavy due to all the snacks
that are packed in it. Though their bodies broke down as they got older, I
believe their love grew stronger with each day that passed. They knew that this
time here on earth is a temporary stop on their way to an eternal home and they
made the most of every moment together. They built their marriage on mutual
service and love for one another, leaving a legacy of faith that will continue
for generations to come.
I
will miss my grandpa, but I know that there is joy in mourning. I may cry because
his time here is complete, but I rejoice that a new life for him has begun. He
has finished his race a good and faithful servant, receiving his crown of glory
from his heavenly father. He is free of the pain and limitations of a broken
mind and body and has been made whole by the precious blood of his Lord Jesus
Christ. I mourn with hope because I know that this life is only a foreshadow of
what is to come. Our life is a mist that is here one day and gone the next. It
is a gift from God and I pray that I will use mine to glorify God and love
others above myself, just as my grandpa did.
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain:
This is my
story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
