My grandmother passed away this morning. There can be no more death for her. She has gone away rejoicing in the satisfaction of a Life Well Lived.
I enjoyed the company of my mother and her seven siblings as we cried, prayed, laughed and sang together all day.
I had the very great privilege of leading them in hymn after hymn. The songs Abuelita would have chosen had she been present in the flesh.
The song of the righteous truly is a prayer unto the Lord.
I am filled with love and gratitude for my grandmother and her great strength and faith. She was passion personified. She lived and loved with inextinguishable fire.
I have a smidge of her Fire. A touch.
What we have completely in common, my Abuelita and I, is Love for our families and Love of The Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no denying the Light found therein.
If she were here she would tell you Families Can Be Together Forever. She would say, I Know That My Redeemer Lives. She would exclaim, My God, How Great Thou Art!
Because she is not here I will tell you my faith in Christ and His Atoning Sacrifice has become unshakable. I do not pretend to understand how this miracle is possible. I see through a glass darkly.
My view of the Universe is as though I peer through a straw. I cannot prove that My Redeemer Lives in facts and figures. I only know He does.
I will sing at her funeral on Friday with my sisters and my dad. Abuelita wanted us to sing Grande Eres tu... How Great Thou Art.
I see the stars. I hear the rolling thunder. Thy Power throughout the Universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee... How Great Thou Art! How Great Thou Art!
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It's been a super duper emotional day but I'm all happy cause I got to cook for my huge family. Not all by myself, you understand. those of us who like to cook did the cooking and those us who like to eat did the eating. I did both.
I was crazy humbled when I was asked to lead everyone in song. My voice was clear and totally in control without accompaniment. It felt like I sang a solo even though everyone was singing...
Why does my Mexi fam always say I'm too skinny? I'm really not that skinny! I SWEAR!
My Uncle Alberto gave me specific directions to the best tortilla factory in town and instructed me to go there. And eat a few tortillas.
Doesn't he know white people like to be THIN- ish?
I'm sort of a white person! AND I'm sort of a Mexican person so I don't know whether to avoid carbs or head over to the tortilla factory! I'm obviously VERY confused (but I don't care for your opinion on the subject... thank you anyway).
I feel all warm and fuzzy. I've been crying and laughing all day so now I'm spent. I have THE BEST family in the world. The white kids and the brown kids. Small Town Southerners and Corrido Dancin' Mexicans. I adore them all. How did I ever get so lucky??
Life is good. God is good. Family is forever.
