Quite a Pair: 2.Joy and 3.Peace

Nearing his last year of life without knowing it, my grandfather always had this strange confidence without an ego...have you ever known anyone like that? I looked up to him. Sure, he had quite a past, being a product of the Great Depression and not really having a father figure to look up to. He fell in love with my grandmother through a mutual job they had at a local cafeteria. He told me the story a couple times. He was in the army during World War II, but I didn't get to listen in on too many of those stories. I grew up spending nights with them and getting to stay up late like grandparents let you do. The memories will flood my thoughts if I let them, making me have the sweetest feelings inside. Of all those dear moments that I will never forget, I have to say the last couple years of my grandparents' lives have had the most lasting imprints on me. After an ongoing battle with Alzheimer's disease, my Nana was placed into a care facility relieving my grandfather of the duties that he wanted to do but couldn't. He was in good health though. I can still see him standing out in the driveway waving as I drove up for one of our many lunches together. With a strange mix of nuts, raw veggies and ranch dip, and meatloaf sandwiches, we had some of the deepest conversations. At the time, I did not realize the impact. God intricately designed those talks. See, he read his Bible all the time. I thought that was weird. But, with all anxiety he could have had, he didn't. Never. How could this be? Sure, he was sad at times, missing my Nana the way things used to be, but he always spoke of how grateful he was. I didn't understand it. It would be years later that I would see how the Lord was in control of each of the beautiful conversations we had. I wanted to know what he thought about Heaven, how he thought God knew me, what it meant to have a personal savior that seemed to also be his best friend. He could have lived his last couple years miserable and lonely, letting his earthly emotions reign. Instead, he gave the Holy Spirit His rightful place, being a light of true Joy and Peace, an impression God has etched in my mind for a lifetime. Papa introduced Jesus to me. My family knew Papa differently than I did. I saw a gruff man who left this life with such a gentleness about him. He showed me that Christianity is not perfection or trying hard enough. It is having peace that surpasses all understanding and joy that is eternal, no matter what your circumstances are. Do you have a special person that God used to open your eyes? If they are still living on this earth, tell them thank you. If they are already with Jesus, trust that He has already thanked them for you.