IMG_0276 - Version 2Some of our grandchildren came for a visit this weekend (and brought their wonderful mother.) Macy wrote this poem for us during the long car trip to get here:

The sun kums up and then down

And the moon goes up then down.

Thay both go away,

But frens never go away from you.

You may see a cute little ditty here. I see theology. Last weekend, Macy’s great-grandmother died. So, this business about going away is kind of on our minds.

Grandma-Great was 94 years old. She spent most of her time in a chair in her room, reading or doing word puzzles. She still knew all the names of her forty-some great-grandchildren, but she wasn’t sure which one belonged to which grandchild anymore.

You would think a person so confined to one place, so out of touch with our daily lives, so ready for Heaven and so close to its gates wouldn’t leave much of a gap when she disappeared one day like the moon at daybreak.

But, oh, she did. I often went weeks without seeing or talking to Grandma-Great. But now, several times a day, I’m struck by the reality that she is not here anymore. And, the world feels so strange without her.

Not bad, exactly. I’m comforted by The Comforter, just as Jesus promised. And I’m glad for Grandma-Great’s reward. But I’m shocked at the empty spot her going has left in the world. I did not expect to feel it.

And, I’m encouraged at the same time. Because if the transition of one life can leave such a gap, imagine what kind of impact we must be making while we are here. Each of us with our tiny bit to offer must be making some kind of a big difference.

Of course, I know Macy’s poem ends on a true note, too. The people we love never really go away. Just like the sun at midnight, they are only hidden for a while. The Light will shine again someday, and those of us who walk with Jesus will see one another again.

In the meantime, please remember that you matter. A lot. So go right on and make a difference today by doing whatever it is that you do. We need you.