A Thanksgiving, forever etched in my memory

     

     As I approach another Thanksgiving — the one our family experienced six years ago, will forever be etched in my memory. 

     

     The vibrant life of Nels, my soul mate and life-long partner, was slowly slipping away. Although the family was trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy in the midst of impending grief, our traditional thanksgiving table just wasn't the same without Grandpa at the head.

(Click here, and listen as Nelson offers a Prayer of Thanksgiving, just weeks before our Lord took him home.)

     When we contemplate the loss of our loved ones and the void it leaves in our hearts by their absence, it is comforting to know we will see them again. 

     

     

     Someone has said, "Knowing where you are going takes the uncertainty out of getting there." 

     
     Nels, calmly and peacefully faced his death with the assurance that Jesus — his Saviour and trustworthy Shepherd — would lead him safely through the valley of death to eternal life.    

     "The truest end of life is to know that life never ends... Death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity." 

 

— William Penn   

     When Jesus left this earth, He left us with this promise; 

"... Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms... I am going there to prepare a place for you." (John 14:1-2)   

     

     "Heaven is a home of your dreams, a home of eternal peace and safety that's filled with family and friends and where you will be wanted and welcomed. 

     Our heavenly home will glow and radiate with light from within — the light of God himself and the glorious radiance of His presence. 

     The invitation to our Father's house is extended to all, but, you have to RSVP. 

     It's a home you may claim as your own — the Father has left the light on for you!"   

— excerpts from Heaven, My Father's House, by Anne Graham Lotz   

     "... No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him – but, God has revealed it to us by His Spirit."   

— 1 Corinthians 2: 9-10  

     
     "Each departed friend is a magnet that attracts us to the next world." 

— Jean Paul Richter     

     Nels, though you are no longer physically present at our thanksgiving table this year, our hearts, full of memories, will overflow with thankfulness for having had you such a part of our lives.      

     "I think sometimes a person's spirit is so strong that it never completely leaves the earth, but remains scattered forever among all those who love them." 

 — Chris Crandall         

Memories    

     The one who leaves a legacy of love to generations that follow has lived a life worth remembering. 

     The one who leaves gentle footprints on our hearts has left a story worth telling. 

     The one who leaves happy memories dancing in our thoughts has given the gift of timeless moments worth holding in our hearts forever.      

    
— beulah