Saying Goodbye
How do you say goodbye to someone you have lived with for over 35 years?
On the last day of March, my beloved husband Shed, passed away following a week of illness.
Of course, the immediate issues to be faced are notifying dozens of family and friends (yes, you will forget some!), visiting with those who come to the home (all of them concerned for you, but each one having a different way of grieving, comforting and loving), and making viewing and funeral arrangements.
Then, after all the flurry everyone goes back to their daily lives, and you are left with a huge hole.
Then it hit me...
I miss him in the kitchen. He was a great cook. He LOVED the Food Channel. He loved to get to the stove and mix something up -- and mix it up he did. The recipe was only a jumping off place, and most of his concoctions were wonderful. A few failed miserably, and we have had our share of chuckles about those.
I miss him in the pulpit. He was my pastor for 34 years. No one could teach the Bible like he could. It once took him two and a half years to get through the Gospel of Luke! His messages were Bible studies, and the congregation was welcome to ask questions! Any question was OK. If he didn't know the answer, he would say so, and then go back to find it. He NEVER preached his opinion. He said it was the Word of God that was important, not his opinion. If he truly wanted to voice his own opinion about something (very rarely) he would step away from the pulpit, for that was not a part of the sermon. Then he would come back to the pulpit, and say, "But the Bible says that..."
I miss his expressions of love and care to me. During the last 24 hours of his life, while in the hospital, he was so worried that I would not get my meals, or where I would sleep. I told him that I had it all figured out, but that didn't stop him asking if I had had breakfast or lunch. On Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and my birthday, he always gave me the most wonderful cards. They always meant so much to me, and it was very difficult on Sunday not to get that card from him. He had a huge, loving heart.
I miss him.
I am so grateful that I know that he is safely in Heaven with his beloved Lord Jesus. And I know that I will one day see him again.
In the meantime, I will live in a manner that would honor both Shed and my Lord.
And I will not say Goodbye, but Until Later - I will see you soon.
I love you Shed.
On the last day of March, my beloved husband Shed, passed away following a week of illness.
Of course, the immediate issues to be faced are notifying dozens of family and friends (yes, you will forget some!), visiting with those who come to the home (all of them concerned for you, but each one having a different way of grieving, comforting and loving), and making viewing and funeral arrangements.
Then, after all the flurry everyone goes back to their daily lives, and you are left with a huge hole.
My hole was REAL! During the week Shed was sick, I had bought him a new recliner chair, because the one he had was SO bad. I wanted him to be comfortable in it. So I went down to Aarons, and got him a nice new one. He sat in it ONCE. Then spent the rest of the time on the sofa, till we took him to the hospital. Well, once he died, that left me with a chair I would not use, and a big bill to pay. We called Aarons, and they graciously took back the chair, and cancelled my account - Praise the Lord. The only thing was, there was a BIG HOLE Where a chair should be, and no chair in it! My youngest son helped me move the sofa over to help fill in, but that covered up the air conditioning register. So we had to do a whole furniture move in the living room.
That hole is taken care of, but I haven't forgotten that Shed spent so much time there. Just last Saturday, I was going to go up to Janet's for Emily's birthday party, and as I was leaving, I glanced into the corner of the living room, and started to ask - out loud! - "Are you ready to..." Then it hit me...
I miss him in the kitchen. He was a great cook. He LOVED the Food Channel. He loved to get to the stove and mix something up -- and mix it up he did. The recipe was only a jumping off place, and most of his concoctions were wonderful. A few failed miserably, and we have had our share of chuckles about those.
I miss him in the pulpit. He was my pastor for 34 years. No one could teach the Bible like he could. It once took him two and a half years to get through the Gospel of Luke! His messages were Bible studies, and the congregation was welcome to ask questions! Any question was OK. If he didn't know the answer, he would say so, and then go back to find it. He NEVER preached his opinion. He said it was the Word of God that was important, not his opinion. If he truly wanted to voice his own opinion about something (very rarely) he would step away from the pulpit, for that was not a part of the sermon. Then he would come back to the pulpit, and say, "But the Bible says that..."
I miss his expressions of love and care to me. During the last 24 hours of his life, while in the hospital, he was so worried that I would not get my meals, or where I would sleep. I told him that I had it all figured out, but that didn't stop him asking if I had had breakfast or lunch. On Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and my birthday, he always gave me the most wonderful cards. They always meant so much to me, and it was very difficult on Sunday not to get that card from him. He had a huge, loving heart.
I miss him.
I am so grateful that I know that he is safely in Heaven with his beloved Lord Jesus. And I know that I will one day see him again.
In the meantime, I will live in a manner that would honor both Shed and my Lord.
And I will not say Goodbye, but Until Later - I will see you soon.
I love you Shed.