My Grandfather, Joe Owen, passed this afternoon. He was my dad’s dad. Now I am down to one Grandfather, a sign I am getting older. I understand the way things work and that all things are made to work for God’s plan and glory. I was also not surprised by his passing. It happens when we age and mature that our elders will hand off the baton as it were to the next generation. I feel great sorrow for my family though. My Grandma, Dad, aunt, uncle and cousins who will be there to comfort each other.
I want to offer my shoulder, my ear or just my presence and company for anyone who can’t make it up there right now. I also want to remind us all that death is not the end. We have another house to go to when we are done. Another place to go, as we are told: But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3:20-21
Our Grandfather was an honorable man. Stubborn, at times but honorable none-the-less. From what I remember, he loved the Lord and was a good husband, (grand)father and provider. I am sad. We are sad, because we shall miss him greatly and will try to live our life in the, to borrow a phrase, “New-Normal”, of a world where we can’t see him when we want to share his joy, or call him when we need his wisdom. Our Lord will help us transition through this and eventually to HIS “new-normal” : He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelations 21:4-5
All things are in His plan and shall be made for His good work. So I must put my trust in that. I have faith, that is to say, I have very good reason to believe, based on past experience and the wisdom if His word, that Our Lord will walk by our side and carry us when we stumble. Jesus himself, tells us that for those who believe in Him and take on His commission: … And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
I am pretty sure, I am mostly going on, to console myself and to remind myself that He (Our Lord) is with me. I am also totally confident that I know that to be true but still, I sit here, in contemplation of my own father’s passing, and praying that he be here to carry on Grandpa O’s wisdom for my son’s (and my own) sake. I am grieving, in my own weird, intellectually challenged way. I do not question the reason why, I am just acknowledging our collective loss and I’m moving forward.
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… for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him . Luke 20:36-38
As usual: Thank you for reading and for comments…
– Be Yourself, Be Well, and Be Loved,
May Jesus have His way with your day
He is Founder and consultant for Tek Management,
Founder of the Men’s Leadership site: CalebStrong.org,
Co-Founder of the online Bible study app: BibleCounts
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