All The Way

Around the 7th of September, my maternal grandmother started feeling badly. She was taken from the nursing home to the hospital where they discovered she had pneumonia and treated her. She went back to the nursing home, but very soon after she got back, her condition worsened. At this second trip to the hospital it was discovered that she not only had pneumonia, but stage 4 lung cancer. Within a few days, her children gathered around her to spend as much time with her as they could. Grandma loved it, and though it was hard for her 6 children, they loved every last moment with her. In saying goodbye to her kids, she told one, "I love you...ALL the way."

All the way. I cannot fully comprehend a greater love than that. Yet, there IS one. It is the very love that boggles my mind and stills my heart. It causes me to stand in complete wonder and awe and it lifts my heart and soul up to great joy and peace. What a great thing to love those around you "all the way" and an even greater thing to rest in the love that goes further than that!!

Oh!! How God loves us!!!!

Thanks, Grandma! Thanks for showing us a great love so that we can accept and experience an even greater one.

photo to the left: Grandma's six children (from l to r): Jeff, Connie, Anita, Kathy, Jo (mom), and Marc
Photo to the right: Mandy, Mom and Keri