Sunday, August 4, 2019

Maybe, just maybe on the other side of Heaven.....


A year ago today my Dad (step-dad if we go with technicalities) took his last breath on earth and his first breath in Heaven. By all accounts it was completely unexpected. He is missed and mourned by many and yet God has graced us with strength that we didn’t know we had and a profound appreciation for life, friends and family that we previously took for granted. It changed each of us in ways that even now remain to be seen. 

As the date neared for my first grandchild to be brought into this world, I flip flopped back and forth between wanting her to be born on 8/4 and hoping she wouldn’t be. If she was born today then there would be a sort of redemption of this painful date and time of year. If she was born yesterday, then today still has a gut wrenching sadness to it that has to be endured every year on August 4th. 

Coraline was born a couple of hours short of midnight on the 3rd and the joy, wonder & happiness this has brought my Mom, our family and our friends has spilled over to the 4th and will continue into the days to come. As my Mom held her for the first time last night, hours after a c-section delivery, she cried and spoke of how much Dad would have loved her and spoiled her if he were still here. I can’t help but think he already met her before we did when he got to Heaven. 

As a believer in and follower of Christ, I take my hope of that from this scripture:

 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5)

God is in Heaven, and my Dad is in Heaven, too..... So maybe, just maybe, Coraline, who is obviously a gift from Heaven, got to spend a little time with her Granddaddy before we ever even knew she was coming. It's something to think about that makes my soul smile. 

Blessings, y'all,

Robin McNew