Tonight we attended the viewing for my grandmother at the Yoder-Culp Funeral Home in Goshen, Indiana.  It was the same funeral home my grandfather was buried from in 1996.

And it was kind of surreal to be there too.  The visitation was from 5-7, but at 95 years old and living in a retirement community for the last 12 of them, there were only a handful of people who came.  It actually was pretty restful, and we were able to just sit around much of the time and talk as family.  And what made this different was that there were no unanswered questions.  All the rest of this is choreographed out, and that is a blessing to us all indeed.

But to see her in the casket, although it was something I knew would come one day, was not really a thing I could come to grips with. Sure, I know the theology, and sure I know what we believe, but I think the reality of knowing that I can no longer call her on the phone, or talk to her creates an emptiness that even the best theology cannot fill.  I was reminded of one of my favorite songs, “Homesick,” by Mercy Me.  Every time I hear it I think of my grandpa….and now I will think of them both.  I will be playing it quite a bit on my way home tomorrow too.

But ultimately there is victory in it all, and for it I am thankful.  Tomorrow will be the funeral, and now we have decided to head home after it.  I suppose it is best that way, but leaving here without being able to return to talk to her makes it bittersweet.

Keep us in your prayers tomorrow.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+