Wow- we have had trouble with our computer for the past few weeks and then this weekend a storm fried our modem- so I finally came to a friend's house (thanks Sandi) in order to give you all an update (for those of you who have stuck with me and are still checking this thing).
So much has happened, I will just touch on a few things. We were able to celebrate my brother Nick's birthday (Jamie's as well) and Grandma Shirley's birthday at the beginning of this month. It was a lot of fun as Grandpa came and sat at the table with us and we were able to have a special day in order to remind Grandma just how much SHE means to us as well.
Just before we had dinner my mom received a call from our cousin Brenda letting us know that her Dad, Uncle Hartly has gone to be with Jesus. It was hard news to receive and yet I know that he was just as excited to be with his Lord as my Gramps is. It was a great weekend with a lot of laughter and tears- I will cherish it, but was glad for the quiet Monday that followed.
I thought about writing about it, but since I don't have much time I am going to cheat and post my mom's email about it. Thanks mom.
Wow, what a weekend!!
Friday night mom, Christie and I traveled to join family members in Duluth at the Visitation for Uncle Hartley. What a neat time of sharing just how much he meant to each one of us. A time of tears, yet joy for him, cuz he is now with Jesus, and a time of laughter as we shared stories from his life. Mom was the representative for both her and dad as they remembered the part their dear brother-in-law played in their lives for over 50 years.
Saturday, mom and several family members stayed with dad while the rest of us went to Uncle Hart’s funeral. They remembered him in their personal way while we were remembering him in a public way that was so fitting for Uncle Hartley! The music, the pictures and the verbal tributes all conveyed just what kind of man Hart was, and how ultimately, it was Jesus who molded him into this wonderful man who reached out and touched so many lives! The title of the slide show was “A Life Well Lived” and oh, how well that describes Uncle Hart!
My dear extended family, in the midst of their own grieving, took time on Sunday to come to visit mom and dad, and what a blessed day it was. Thanks to my dear Shermer family and other precious friends, we had food prepared and Irene and Syvilla served and cleaned so that we would not have to worry about kitchen duties. Eric and Kris had taken pictures at Hart’s Visitation and Funeral, and were able to share them with the group, so mom and dad got to share in that service in this way.
People gathered around mom and dad as he shared about his life at Nett and the great honor bestowed upon him of becoming an honorary member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. How perceptive of my relatives to realize that it is a big deal for many Native Americans to come to Christ after the way they have been treated by the White Man. Why would they want to follow a God who would allow His people to heard the Native People onto reservations, and then come and take away their children and put them in Boarding Schools? Yet, dad was unlike the stereotypical White Man. He came and listened . . . and eventually became one of them. Through this quiet ministry he brought people like Fred Isham, who mistrusted the White Man, to Jesus. Fred was one of the children in a Boarding School – and yet eventually Fred came to Christ and dad baptized Fred and his wife, Ann in a canoe. People were huddled around mom and dad intent on hearing their stories before dad’s voice gave out.
Then we sat in a larger circle and told stories of how dad touched our lives and sang songs about our walk with God. Again lotsa tears and laughter. When it got too teary someone would make sure we got on a light track! I asked if we could sing “Sitting at the Feet of Jesus” cuz that’s what the crowd around dad reminded me of – but when I started the song only mom and dad joined in (shows my age!!!). So Dan said “Let’s sing something we all know” and led out with “Flinstones –meet the Flinstones, they’re a modern, stone-age family”. Yup – tears to laughter in just a few seconds!!
Kris, Hartley’s Daughter-in-law, said that this is one of the blessings of cancer - - we get to pay our tributes now, and have the opportunity to say our good-byes. What an awesome time of sharing together, both in memories, in tribute, in song and finally in prayer. One of the pictures I took while my Mark was speaking shows the words above our cupboards – PRAY and HOPE – and that’s how we are living right now. We are continually in prayer – and we have an awesome hope! Hope that we will again see dad and Uncle Hart and all those who have gone on before us – but more than that, hope that we will one day be with Jesus for eternity!!
As we finished the tributes to dad, Les gave him the song “I can only Imagine”. Yup- we were all crying!! How powerful it way – I do imagine dad there one day, and what a glorious day it will be!! Dad’s parting words were “If I did something right – it was all because of Him (and he pointed up). If I messed up – it was me.”
To God be the Glory,
His servant,
Karen
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