Thursday, May 27, 2004

Aye captain, we have a leak in the prayer shield...

I'm sorry this space has kinda turned into "DeathWatch 2004" these days.


It's all so very surreal. A very short time ago I enjoyed a good relationship with reasonably healthy grandparents, who loved me and cared about me. What's more, they prayed for me every day, and especially Sundays, I knew they were praying. Now, within a week, they are both gone.


I'm trying to keep up at work, trying to keep busy.


Yesterday I attended the funeral of a friends sister-in-law, who I had been praying for. The afternoon I spent visiting a few people. Then the evening was our small group.


Today I'm trying to get ready for Sunday, Pentecost. It just doesn't seem very celebratory, yet. Tonight is a regular congregational meeting. Hope it goes well.


It's the whole thing where you go about your life and get your mind off things, then suddenly remember they aren't there anymore. I get weepy all of a sudden, then it's gone.


And I'm so tired, both physically and emotionally. Spiritually though I feel great. God is close, I can feel his breath on my neck...


The loss seems to test what the family is made of, you know? It's not easy to disguise your feelings or hide what you really think, when this layer of covering is peeled off your emotions. Misunderstandings and miscommunications seem to happen so easily... 


The funeral is on Saturday. The day starts at 9am and looks like it will go through till the late evening. Everything will be on the same day this time. This time I'm a pallbearer (Where did that name come from??) and I'm reading the obituary. That's good. It will allow me to be more emotionally present, when I don't have to think about other things.



So there you go. Life is good and bad, and then you die. But God is very good.

5 comments:

  1. How does your Pentecost service on Sunday "look"?

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  2. Hi Donna;



    I think this year we're gonna do something different.



    I'm thinkin, turn down the lights and turn on some music. "The Grey Havens" from Return of the King.



    Then we'll have someone carry a lit candle to the front where we will have three large candles waiting to be lit.



    And as the music continues,I'll have someone read aloud Acts 2:1-21



    The music ends and we start our singing, maybe Holy Holy Holy. Then some "Here I am to worship" and some "All who are thirsty" songs.



    We'll take time to pray for one another and a sermon and some more singing and worshipping.



    Sharing Gods peace and blessing each other then maybe close with the song "Be unto your name."



    Yeah, that's the rough direction I think we'll head in, God making adjustments as we go along.



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  3. Makes me wish I were able to be in P.A. for the weekend. Sounds ab"soul"utely wonderful! Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question!

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  4. Where are you "Stationed" Donna?

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  5. Pall: Old English word for casket covering. The word has evolved so that it sometimes refers to the casket itself. A pallbearer is responsible for carrying or bearing the casket. It's an honor.

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