Some of you will recall a post I wrote last week, where I mentioned the situation with my grandfather. I appreciate all who have offered prayer on our behalf. It definitely has not been in vain. However, I received a phone call at 3:00am on Wednesday morning, from my sister, who informed me that ‘Granda’ (as we called him) had passed.
As a general rule, when someone passes away, there are those who say stupid things, and then those who say nothing at all. However, sometimes we must communicate through words.
At the last minute on Thursday afternoon, I sent an email to my uncle to be read out at the funeral. I wish to share what I wrote:
Last Thursday, my sister called me on the phone to ask me if I had a message I would like her to pass on to Granda. What do you say? I mean, emotions are a little mixed up when you know a loved one is leaving, and because of this, it’s very easy to say something that isn’t really what you feel. So I simply told my sister to tell him, “I’ll see you later.”
Over the past number of days, I’ve been spending time thinking about Granda, what I know of his life, and how he influenced me.
What have I got to say?
I cannot say I was extremely close to my Granda, or that his opinions and views on life, massively shaped my own. And yet, they did, but it wasn’t directly. It was much more subtle, and yet it was profound. I have no doubt Granda wanted all his family to succeed in life, just like any father would. Nevertheless, I have more than enough reason to believe his greatest desire was for his family; children, grandchildren, and beyond, would come to know the Saviour – the Saviour he quietly loved and trusted in.
With this being his view, he (and a small number of others), managed to influence me into recognising this, not by repeatedly telling me, but by praying for me. Such indirect influence has had more of an impact than any other in my life. He maybe wasn’t my father, but he was a role model to me as to how a father should be, in that he gained the love, respect, and admiration of his children because of the life he exemplified. I mean, isn’t that the hope of every father?
Being completely honest, when I told my sister to tell Granda, “I’ll see you later”, I meant it exactly the way it sounds. I am confident I shall see my Granda again; it’s only a matter of time. When I see him again, however, he will no longer just be my Granda, but, he will be one of many who I will worship and serve the Lord with, and my prayer is that someday, Granda will be reunited with everyone he prayed for, especially his family.
Armen
Thank you again for praying for us. It goes without saying, my grandmother will continue to need the grace of God for some time. I leave you with one of my favourite photos ever, of any kind: