The times that he's the closest

The times that I can feel my grandfather the closest are in my times of pure worship, and this makes perfect sense because my grandfather was a worshiper, in spirit and in truth.

His whole life was a reflection of God's beauty and he could find moments of worship hidden amongst all sorts of times. I can remember many times riding somewhere with him and listening to him pray and feel the very presence of God fill the car that we were riding in. I have never been able to explain it, and I've stopped trying, but there was something about that man's worship that ushered the very presence of God into a room, or a car, or on vacation,or at a band concert or at graduation.......just about anywhere.

One of my most vivid and cherished last moments of him, are ones of worship.

As he lay in that hospital bed in their living room he had become pretty non responsive to anything that was going on around him, but we still talked to him and sang to him. We played his Gaither Vocal Band tapes for him, because he loved it. The night before he died we played one for him and he began to sing along with it, only for a moment, and not in tune, but that moment was one that I will never, ever, forget.

This man, cancer has destroyed his earthly body and he has every reason to be angry, to be sad, to hurt, but all he can do is worship.

Through his last moments of life, he worshiped, because he understood that what he had lived his whole life for, was about to occur. He was about to meet his purest love, and he was ready.


I am sad, and I do hurt, but deep, way deep down inside, I know that he hears, he sees, and I can feel his spirit so strong in those moments of worship, and I thank God for this comfort that he has given me. I praise my creator for giving me strength.


These lyrics grab me:
Old man, hospital bed
The room is filled with people he loves
And he whispers
"Don't cry for me, I'll see you all someday"
He looks up and says
"I can see God's face"

This is my temporary home, it's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passing through
This was just a stop on the way to where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know
This was my temporary home