A Practical Walk

I know it’s been over a week since my last post…this has been a strange start to the new year to say the least.

Shortly after Christmas we got word that my Grandpa was sick, he ended up in the hospital and his time was looking short. I bought tickets to fly to upstate New York.

I have so much to be thankful for on this trip!

My kids are an age where it’s easier to leave them, in fact they both have their driver’s licenses! Shortly after my daughter passed her test, my son took his and also passed!

My job is flexible, I just turned Dandelion Deals to away mode, people can still purchase items, but they’ll have to wait for me to ship them.

My husband’s job is also flexible.

My in-laws live close, so if the family needs anything, they can help (my mother-in-law has already had them over for one meal and sent some leftovers home).

I made all my flights….barely. My first flight landed, and as we waited to get off the plane I looked at my next ticket. I was supposed to start boarding at 6:20. I looked at the time…it was 6:20. Given my rush, I decided I’d just make a mad dash to the gate, no time to check the screens to see if there’s been a gate change. As soon as I got off the plane, I made a beeline for the sky train to change terminals. Got to my terminal and ran to my gate….only to find it was another flight. I thought I must’ve missed it and this was the next flight. I looked for someone to talk to, but wasn’t seeing any airport workers, but then I saw some flight crew. One of them who looked to be the pilot, asked if I needed anything. I told him I thought I’d missed my flight, he quickly looked up the flight number and said it was still boarding, but at another gate….about 30 gates away! I thanked him and darted off. As I ran all I could think was, “I thought I wasn’t going to get any of my 5K training in this trip…but look at me now!” However, running with a coat and dragging a carry on is pretty tiring, so I ran/walked to my gate and much to my relief found them still boarding! So very grateful! And grateful for the pilot-man, who directed me the right way.

Upon arrival in New York my parents picked me up and drove me straight to the hospital. I had talked briefly on the phone to Grandpa, thinking it was goodbye, so getting to see him alive was such special, unexpected blessing!

That evening after getting to my parents’ place we received the message that Grandpa was gone. I am so, so grateful for that last visit I got to have with him. And now that I’m getting ready to post this, I’m also realizing something: if I had missed that flight, I likely wouldn’t have seen my Grandpa for that last little visit. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude!

My Grandpa was 94 years old. He was in good health (for that age), and lived a full life. He had 7 forever children, multiple foster children, different people who lived in his home at various times, some related, some not. He gave generously to missions. And he was not fearful of death. He believed that because of his belief in Christ as his Savior, he didn’t need to fear it.

Tomorrow we put his body in the ground, but he will not remain there:

“13Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians. 15 For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-23 NET