10/11/17

Gathering Graces 10/10/2017

*Today we laid Mom to rest with Dad up at the Greenwood Cemetery.  It was a glorious autumn day, with the trees in full color, and the sky a vivid blue.  Bill, Debbie, Christy, Everett, Paul and I gathered together, along with Debbie Mikesell from the Shoshone Funeral Home, to pay our last respects.  Bill shared some wonderful thoughts from the Episcopalian graveside service.  He opened in prayer, and read Matthew 11:28-30.  He prayed a Prayer of Consecration of Mom and Dad’s Grave.  We all sang two verses of the hymn The Old Rugged Cross, that was another one of Mom’s favorite hymns.  Then Bill prayed a Prayer of Committal, recited Psalm 148, and Closed with a Prayer and Blessing.  It was perfect.  Our family had a lot to praise the Lord about today.
*Psalm 148 was a beautiful scripture to be a part of today’s service.
1Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.
6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord.
*After the service we gathered at Radio Brewery for lunch.  It was nice to start talking about resuming weekly family dinners, plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and trips each of us will be taking in the future.
*Paul has asked me a couple times today, “how are you doing?”  I really don’t know.  I keep saying, “I need some time to think.”  I need some time to process.  I need some quiet days of contemplation.  But I look at my calendar through the end of the year, and it seems like there is no time for quiet days of contemplation.  So I will see what I can do with the quiet times I do have, to process the fact that my mother’s is gone.
*Mom and Dad have now been laid to rest together.

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