One Body. Above all. Through all. In all.
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5F
The late May morning is cool and cloud covered, with a wisp of wind caressing Shelly’s face. She carries a box with vases of freshly cut peonies, iris and cascading wedding veil. She walks alongside her mother and grandmother just as she has done every Memorial Day as far as she could remember.
Shelly knows the routine. They stop at each grave, clean the area of cut grass and weeds, place a vase of flowers at the headstone and then pause in quiet. She knows the stories her grandmother will tell from one grave to the next.
First, there is Ernest, the widowed brother whose wife and child died in birthing.
Then comes Camilla. The dates March 1950 to May 1950 are carved in the stone. Grandma breathes a long sigh and gently holds Shelly’s hand a bit tighter.
And then Uncle John, the rugged old man who drank himself into the grave.
The routine continues with Auntie Carrie, Grandma’s sister Helen, mom’s brother Vic, Elizabeth, Grandma’s best friend.
And finally, Wilhelm. Grandma stands at the grave of her husband of fifty-five years, quiet, gently placing the flowers at her feet wiping her eyes with the hankie she pulls from the breast of her dress. Shelly holds Grandma’s hand a bit tighter.
Throughout the walk, Shelly feels the breath of her ancestors in the gentle breeze surrounding her. Like Grandma’s hankie, Shelly tucks the stories within her heart, trusting the truth she is not alone, but remains connected to a great gathering of saints.
Breathprayer:
Breathing in: Holy God…
Breathing out: …uniting all.
Reflection: Who are the saints whose stories bless your life?
LENTEN REFLECTION FOR FRIDAY, March 8, 2019. This was written for the Southeast Iowa Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Daily Lenten Devotion – “One Body. Above All. Through All. In All.”
www.seiasynod.org/lent
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