My great grandma died last week. She was 97 (and a half!). She lived such a full life, and her funeral Monday was more of a celebration than a time of sorrow. During the service, we even had a time to stand up and share a memory of her if we wanted. The laughter following each memory sounded through the sanctuary. As much as I thought I would not be very emotionally affected, since she was so old and so ready to "go home," I surprised myself. I was deeply stirred with feelings of regret, wishing I had been able to see her sooner than five years ago, wishing she had been able to attend my wedding. My dad's cousin delivered a beautiful message, sharing that my great grandma had asked him awhile ago to speak at her funeral. What really moved me was his emphasis on how closely she walked with the Lord and how he recounted seeing her kneeling by her bed in prayer late at night when he was visiting her in Florida years and years ago. He expressed how he had always wondered since then what exactly she was praying for that night and in her daily times of prayer. He talked of her letters (she was known for her detailed letters... sometimes almost painfully detailed!). He read one aloud; a letter full of remarks, updates, and questions about our family. After each person she mentioned, he paused and looked up and found that person sitting in the pews, and said directly to them, "(name), she was praying for YOU." I was floored. What a legacy. This picture is from the summer of 2003, at my sister's high school graduation party. It was the last time I was able to see and spend time with my beloved "Grandma Jantzi." She lived in Florida for years, then moved to Indiana when she began to slow down and need assistance. I am so sad that I was not able to see her closer to the time that she died, but I know she's partying it up in Heaven, probably pestering my Poppa, saying to once again, "Clear your plate and it will be a nice day tomorrow."
