Hi, Jany. Six years ago today you stopped walking the sandy beach on Little Gasparilla island and your beautiful Kentucky woods with me, and started walking the streets of gold with Jesus. Okay, He’s a better deal, I get it, but I sure miss you.
Yesterday, while sitting in church on the island, they were playing Laura Story’s song, Blessings, during the offereatory. (Click here for the song) When she sang the words “what if your healing comes through tears”, I almost started an “ugly cry”. My thoughts were on the date, June 3rd, 2013, and floods of memories of you came to my mind. Then, when pastor Moss began his expository preaching (I really enjoy hearing him preach, you would too) beginning in Romans 11:33, the verse led my thoughts to you as well:
Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! Romans 11:33
Nope, we don’t understand why your vibrant life was taken from us on earth, but as you’ve told me in dreams before…you’re busy preparing for us. You always were busy, but did often stop to smell the roses in life.
Speaking of roses, while marking my bible during the sermon, and holding back the tears, I was wishing I had that handkerchief with me. (Handkerchief). Remember looking down from Heaven when I found that delicate handkerchief covered with pink roses. Tim and I found it nestled on a shelf in an antique store on Anna Maria Island. Of course I had to get it! When I came back home (to Plant City), I retrieved that precious handkerchief from my old bible and tucked in in the pages of my current one.
While thumbing through the pages of my old bible, another remembrance of you caught my eye. Back in January 2009, Cole had written a little note that said, “I love you I love you I love you”. He had about six little I “heart symbol” U scribbled all over the page. During your last months on earth, those are the words you would utter to all you loved ones, “I love you love you love you”. Each time I type three hearts, happy thoughts of you are with me.
There are so many times in this life of parenting that I often think “What would Jany say or do?” You ALWAYS had a way of getting information out of everyone. You would do so in a fun and gentle way. And when anyone needed reprimanded, you’d do so in a loving yet firm way. I often wish how you’d be chatting with my children, and I’d be like a fly on the wall listening to all the information you would probably drag out of them.
Oh, these grandchildren are doing great! You’d be so proud of all five of your grands. Your babies, Tim and Todd, have done well. Hunter is completing his third year as a supervisor with D. R. Horton Homes. Holly graduates in December from college. Cole is officially a senior in high school. My how time flies! Could you please put a good word in with God and guide these babies in the way they should go? Thanks.
I just wanted to say “Hi”, and that I not only love love love you, but I miss miss miss you.
Thanks for seeing something in me for your boy back when you were my Sunday School teacher, when we Tim and I were juniors in high school. Thanks for, after two years of being broken up, you told Tim he better go get me before I got too serious with this other dude. Thanks for being real and fun with us all, and above all…thanks for being a godly example.
See you in Heaven. I can’t wait to see what God has you doing up there.
Stephanie
https://soakinguptheson.com/new/daily-journaling/its-the-little-things/