Grandma Judy

I have talked to many of you about this, but for those of you who I haven't...I have some sad news. My grandmother passed away last week. She was my mom's mom and my last living grandparent. Her husband, my grandfather ("Pop-Pop") passed away last year around this same time. It was so weird to be at the memorial service at the same church we were at last year, celebrating our grandma's life...when I feel we had just done that for Pop-Pop.

My grandmother loved music. She had a piano, wrote songs, always led us in carols at Christmas time. When my mom was growing up, my grandma Judy would write musicals for her school or church. And she passed down her love of music to my mom who has in turn passed it down to my sisters and I. What a gift.

We wanted to honor that at her service. So my mom, 2 aunts, and uncle would get up and share about Grandma's life and then a group of family members would get up and sing a song about that period of time. It was like a musical in Grandma Judy's honor! My sisters and I sang two songs for Grandma - "Love in Any Language" and "How Beautiful". Here are the words for that one:

" How Beautiful the hands that served
The Wine and the Bread and the sons of the earth
How beautiful the feet that walked
The long dusty road and the hill to the cross
How Beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

How Beautiful the heart that bled
That took all my sins and bore it instead
How beautiful the tender eyes
That choose to forgive and never despise
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

And as He lay down His life
We offer this sacrifice
That we will live just as He died
Willing to pay the price
Willing to pay the price

How Beautiful the radiant bride
Who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes
How Beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure love so that others may live
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

How beautiful the feet that bring
The sound of good news and the love of the King
How Beautiful the hands that serve
The wine and the bread and the sons of the Earth
How Beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ "

I miss her so much. But it's also interesting that I am happy, too, in the midst of my sadness. It was the same way with Pop-Pop. I saw how much pain they were in...and I just longed for them to be with their Jesus and to be free of that suffering. And when I found out my grandma has passed, I imagined her being reunited with Pop-Pop again and it brought me so much joy.

She lived 87 long, full years. Surrounded by many friends and family who loved her. I am so thankful I knew her and got to have her in my life.