Words are not enough

The bible tells us this about death-

“For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.” (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 RSV)

To sum up this passage – there is no way around it, everything and every ones time on Earth will have an end. This knowledge of death’s inevitability does not lessen our suffering. Today our grief still pours out as a sign of longing for one more moment to share with Grandma whose physical death and we gather to grieve today.

Even though grief tends to be a very personal experience,. we gather together today as family and friends to support each other and try to find a way to fill the void created by our loss Painfully we recognize that Grandma’s compassionate words are not here to console us as we grieve, but instead her shell now lies peacefully, and with the Lord her spirit is rejoicing. She is now absolutely free of all worry and pain. An important point to keep in mind for those of us still living is that while Grandma would certainly expect those of us left behind to grieve, she wouldn't want us to be completely devastated by our loss either. Life must go on, and no one would be more emphatic about making that point to us than grandma. She fought the good fight until she was overcome. Death happens, but it must not be allowed to defeat us.

We all have our personal reasons and we share many common reasons we grieve Grandma’s death today. The memories that we have of the lessons she taught us, and the laughs that we shared will forever be a part of who we are. I loved her playful attitude, and she often shared with me her love for nature . I remember the long walks we used to take and the times we would just get quiet and listen to the world around us. It would help us both to escape for a few moments and feel free in who we are. I will miss sharing those moments of freedom with her.

My faith reassures me that she now feels nothing except that freedom. All the pain of this world has been left behind. The darkness of her illness has only claimed victory over the shell that carried the spirit that was Grandma. The memories of her will forever live on in our hearts and our minds and we can rest in the peace that she will forever live in the place that has been prepared for her.