In God’s infinite grace and mercy, He welcomed a very special Angel to heaven today. Her name is Mary Blount, or to all who know her through me, “Granny”. Granny was 90 years young, and my number one fan and most precious friend. So heaven’s gain is definitely my loss, but I praise God for His enduring love and faithfulness!

Granny was well ready for the journey home and didn’t want any more medical treatment or to go back to the hospital or a nursing home. In fact, she was supposed to begin in-home hospice care this past Monday, but the necessary paperwork didn’t get done, so it was postponed to next week. But God had that ALL taken care of and HE had a much better plan! That just goes to prove Romans 8:28 once again! We had been praying for more than a week that the Lord would take her in her sleep so she wouldn’t suffer. And even though that’s not what He did, what happened is EVEN better! She was able to maintain her normal routine right up to the end, and instead of being alone when the Lord called her home, friends and family were in the room with her and she was doing one of the things she enjoyed most…eating! She had requested chicken and dumplins for lunch, and had just begun eating, enjoying her lunch and company, when the Lord took her in the twinkling of an eye! Oh yes, Lord, Granny would SO approve! So I thank You for answering her last request and for bestowing one last measure of your infinite mercy and grace on her.

Even though we’ve both been very much aware that we might be saying good-bye for the last time when we’d hang up for days now, our actual last conversation, which was about an hour before she died this afternoon, was just like so many we’ve had several times a day (with VERY few exceptions) for the past five or six years. And that time I don’t think either of us had thoughts of it being our last conversation as I said I’d talk to her a little later and she said okay, and we said we loved each other. And even that was just as Granny would have wanted it!

Granny tried to get me to promise not to cry the other night, so I had to confess that she was asking too much and said that I wouldn’t be crying for her, because I knew she was going to a much better place, but I couldn’t help crying for me. And, yes, I’ve cried, but even more I’m totally amazed and in awe of God’s faithfulness. I have to admit being disappointed, because I felt the Lord wasn’t honoring my prayers by taking her in her sleep and I didn’t want her to suffer. And now that I think about it, I know I probably would have wondered if she woke up and was frightened or felt alone when she died, so this way, GOD’S WAY, was SO much better, as it ALWAYS is! Yes, I’m sad, and there will definitely be a huge hole in my life, an emptiness that won’t be easily filled, but I also trust and know the Lord will bestow the same mercy, grace and faithfulness on me that He showered on Granny! So as I say farewell to my dearest departed friend, a very special angel in my life, I know that as the Lord closed one door, He will be faithful to open another! So, till we meet again, Granny, AND WE WILL!

Posted Wednesday, July 19th, 2006 at 8:54 pm in Seeds Of Faith.