My Precious Grandma

This is a picture of my precious Grandma when she was young. I love this picture of her.

She turned ninety in August and was still going strong until just after Christmas when the two left chambers of her heart stopped functioning properly. She spent most of January in the hospital, but she's been home the last few weeks. Her kids have taken turns to help take care of her.

It was my Mom's turn yesterday. She called me in the early evening and said Grandma was having trouble breathing and was in pain (which is what happens when the fluid builds up around your heart because your heart can't pump it off), so she was following the ambulance to the hospital.

Mom went on to tell me that earlier in the day, Grandma put her hands up in the air like she was praising Jesus and she said, "Hurry up! Hurry up and take me home."

We got a call at 2:30 this morning from Mom saying that Grandma went to be with Jesus. At some point before she stopped breathing, she said the names of her siblings who have already passed away. My mom asked her if she saw them and she said yes.

In the midst of our pain at her loss, we are so happy for her. She got what she wanted from a gracious God who heard her cries and answered them--she got to go home and be reunited with her family who were waiting to greet her with open arms.