Its almost as if she is looking towards heaven in this picture.My sweet grandmother passed away peacefully in her sleep last week. I just wanted to share the words I spoke at her funeral so the world can know how special she was...
Growing up, I remember traveling to Grandma and Grandpa's from San Antonio and pulling up into their driveway after a long two hour drive in a crowded backseat with my brother and sister. Grandpa was always under the carport in his lawnchair waiting for us to arrive. When we stepped inside their home, Grandma was always in the kitchen hard at work making a big lunch. We would head straight for the living room because everytime we came, she made a pie from scratch and would keep it under a towel. We would lift up the towel in anticipation to see if it was lemon or chocolate...I always hoped for chocolate! She also always had cans of Dr. Pepper in the fridge for us kids and a cold Coors Lite ready for Dad.
After lunch we would transfer from the kitchen to the living room to watch TV...usually football or some other sport. After cleaning up the meal (and she never had a dishwasher), Grandma was always the last one to come in and she would sit in the middle recliner next to Grandpa.
I remember waking up in the mornings and she would always have a warm bowl of cream of wheat waiting for me. You know, a couple of years ago I saw boxes of cream of wheat at the grocery store and memories of Grandma came flooding back. I bought some and when I made it, it just didn't taste the same.
I remember picking pecans in the front yard with Grandma and then taking them over to Grandpa so he could help us crack them.
I remember Grandma's huge garden filled with all kinds of vegetables. Each year, it got a little smaller until she wasn't able to care for it any longer. Some of my favorite things that came out of her garden were cucumbers because Grandma turned them into the best pickles I've ever had. It's funny because when I was pregnant with Anna I really didn't have many cravings, but I did crave Grandma's pickles!
I remember Grandma getting up and going to church every Sunday morning until she no longer could. She had a quiet, steadfast faith in the Lord. Today, my sister just read me an old letter from Grandma that said she prayed for my sister, brother, and I everyday. She also used to pay us a dollar to memorize The Our Father and The Hail Mary:).
I remember Grandma and Grandpa's big 50th wedding anniversary party...what a testimony to faithfulness and perseverance their marriage was. I always liked looking at their black and white wedding photo that Grandma looks so beautiful in and asking her how they met. She would tell me the story of when she met Jim Kutach for the first time at a dance. She was with Grandpa until death did they part, serving him and helping him even when he got pretty grumpy towards the end. I never heard her complain.
Those are just a few of the memories I have. As I've been reflecting on Grandma the last couple of days, I noticed a recurring theme...how well she served others. Serving others isn't really very popular in our culture, it seems that those who use others actually get ahead faster. It was, however, very important to Jesus and He modeled for us how to humbly serve others and often spoke about it. Once, when He was traveling with the disciples they were arguing over who among them was the greatest. When Jesus asked them what they were arguing about, they were silent. Then, according to Mark 9:33-35, He sat them down and said to them "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." I think of Grandma and how she was always serving and always last to sit down, and I think of her now face to face with her Savior, her mind and body full restored, and she is finally first.
bathing...
cheering on the Longhorns...
sipping...
or eating (I should say attempting to eat, more on that later)...
