Musings from Graceland

We're home!

After being gone nearly a whole week, we're home. We arrived early this afternoon after spending the first part of this week in Birmingham while Roy was at UAB then going down to my mom's home for the rest of the time.

The visitation/funeral service was Thursday night at my home church and the military burial service was Friday morning. The military service was especially moving for us. Hearing a jet fly over during the service and then the playing of Taps brought tears to my eyes. And afterwards, my mom saw an eagle circle round and round over head and then a v-formation of water fowl flew past. Mom felt like these were sent by God to comfort her as Roy was an avid naturalist and even had eagles on his coffin.

Its been a sad, busy, and exhausting week but its also been a week filled with laughter, seeing old friends, and meeting Roy's three sons for the first time. They are all older than I am and though we were strangers, we had some great times just talking and joking around...sharing memories of Roy and telling each other about our lives.

Before I close, I want to share with something very comforting that a friend, Claudia Mair Burney (The Ragamuffin Diva) shared with me:

"My dear sister,

Dying is hard for all concerned. I could discern the end for both my brother and my father, and in those times, my prayer was, "Thy will be done." This is a hard prayer to pray, but it's not a prayer that God doesn't understand. Within Thy will be done is a prayer for healing! Or it could be a prayer for a safe passage to Jesus. Truly seeking God's will is a hard thing, because it doesn't always match our desires. But we can trust that God hears and answers us. Most of all,we can trust that God loves us. That is always something to remember.

St. Francis of Assisi, as he lay dying, wrote the amazing Canticle to the sun. He referred to death as "sister death." He understood that in allowing her to embrace him, she, his sister, would place him lovingly in the arms of the poor Christ whom He so loved.

I believe that St. Francis could see that in Christ, Death has no victory. In the Orthodox Church we say Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death. It's full of mystery. But again, we know God loves us. And blessed in the eyes of the Lord are the deaths of His saints. And He gives His beloved sleep.

I pray you find some comfort in these words. I will be praying God will do His will and trusting that He will."

I thought that was so beautiful. I know it ministered to me and I hope it will minister to someone else dealing with loss.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and other expressions of concern,

Elysa