Psalm 16:5, 8-9, 10-11 November 17, 2024 🎶

What a beautiful Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday.

This day is the day my beloved Dad was called home to be with the Lord.

Though it’s been nine years, the memory of the evening before and the morning he passed is sketched in my mind. He was granted such a beautiful struggle free passing, and my Mom,  my husband and children were there surrounding him as my siblings were on all our speaker phones as he said goodbye to him.

He then told my Mom he loved her, and he closed his eyes to rest, while everyone else hung up and my fsmily went home to to sleep a bit.

Mom and I stayed vigilant as he slept peacefully. Mom asked me to go get some sleep in the room next to theirs, so she could have time alone with him.

I had not slept since we got the news that Dad wasn’t doing well the day after Easter (2016).

I fell asleep as I began to lay down. I had only been alseep two hours, when I heard a man’s voice softly say my name. I felt like I slept for a week. I opened my eyes, then closed them again, not sure I heard what my name.

Again I heard the soft spoken male voice call name again, and added, “It is time. Your Mother is ready for you to come back. Shee needs you.” I got up, walked to the door of my parent’s room, and looked in just as my Mom looked up and motioned for me to come in and sit with them again. It was around 7am. My daughter called to tell me her oldest dauther (4yrs) kept telling her all night and again that morning that she needed to go give Papa George a hug because he was going back to Heaven today, and asked if she should bring her. I said, “Of course let her come.” Just as I hung up my phone, my Dad took his last breath. My Mom looked at me and said, “Did he stop breathing?” I had been counting the length between his breaths, and said, “Well, I am at 37 seconds.” She bent over across his legs and quietly wept. Then she sat back in her chair, and we looked at one another. Just then, my 4yr old granddaughter comes running in the bedroom with my daughter walking behind her, holding her youngest (6 months). The 4 yr old jumps on my father’s bed, threw her little arms around his neck, gave him a big ole’ kiss on the cheek, looks up to the ceiling,  then lets go of his neck and says, “He’s going home.” She jumps off the bed, shouts to her Mom to follow her outside, she wants to see Papa George fly through the clouds. My daughter is in tears, but manages to record her daughter dancing and twirling around in circles, singing, “Papa George is going to heaven, and he is going to see Jesus, and he is going, and he is there, and shouts “AMEN!” With arms outstretched reaching to the sky.

Our pastor and dear friend happened to come by at that moment. My grandaughter runs on the porch as he reached for the door, she ducks under his hand and says, Padre, come she Papa George he is going to heaven but you can see him for a minute. Padre was smiling as she was dancing all the way to the bedroom and singing her song. He looks at my Mom and I had says, ” Wow, that’s how we should all be when some one is called home

The Dr’s gave my Dad a week, but Dad took 8 1/2 months. There is a time and a season for everything, and every moment in our lives is an experience we need to move forward. and if we live it for God’s Greater Glory, all of it has purpose.

“Live every day as if it is your last, and one day it will be that day.”

by Deanna G. DeBondt

7:06am

November 17, 2024