Grandma Shirley

A little over three weeks ago, my Grandma Shirley went home to be with Jesus, her Lord and King. She was and will continue to be an inspiration to me.  Because of her faithful example, I will have the gift of drawing strength from what I saw in her life, for the rest of my days here.  What a woman of the Word she was!  She took every opportunity she could, to share the love of Jesus with all the people He put on her path.  I remember being so uplifted to hear the stories of how she'd minister to hospital staff during the many times she had to be there.  Her heart was for others to know the Jesus she served.  She compels me to live and love well until my time on earth comes to a close.  While sorrow is definitely a part of her leaving, rejoicing is also very much a part of it.  What a difference it is when someone dies who loves Jesus!  Hope and peace are intermingled with the sorrow.  I am filled with worship that one day we will be together in our true Home.  Until then, I have yet another anchor in Heaven, drawing me there and increasing my thirst and longing.

I have always loved this poem and now I will think of my sweet grandma as I read the words:

Gone from My Sight
I am standing upon the seashore
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts
for the blue ocean
She is an object of beauty and strength
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other
Then, someone at my side says,
"There, she is gone!"
"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight.  That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port
Her diminished size is in me, not in her
And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, "There, she is gone!"
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:
"Here she comes!"