Time for Remembering... April

Ahh April...
  A time of sorrow, a time of celebration, a time to remember...
  Sister-in-law's birthday is on April 1st... and that's no joke nor I'll bet did her mom think so when she had the twins...  Happy Birthday Jean...
  A time of remembering losing both Mom & Dad Gulley within 3 days of each other.. That was 22 years ago now, and it seems like yesterday too. Their 64th Anniversary was on April 3rd, Dad passed away on April 10th and Mom on April 13th. Almost unfathomable.. But we knew they both went home to be with the Lord and that helped to ease some pain..
  But NOW what does a caregiver do with themselves with both of them gone.. and sooo many decisions to make and things to do.. We were blessed with a Pastor & friend that knew this family well. His funeral messages were from a heart of loving them too. We were blessed with family that had always rallied around and were still doing it. And what wonderful examples both Mom & Dad were in life, and there were OHHH soooo many wonderful memories to draw on. (and I still do!) In taking care of them the Lord taught me many valuable lessons that I still use today.. and Mom, well there is NO way I could put to writing it all down unless I wrote a book! ;-)
   Then April 10th was also my brother Wayne's birthday. And he has been gone now since June of 2003. Nine years already... I don't think anything threw me for a loop any more than his passing. I guess because it just came out of the blue!! He had not been sick.. no time to prepare.. as if you ever really are.. BUT it was a massive heart attack and he was instantly gone!! My only sibling! And we had become such friends too. Later on I felt sooo bad for my daughter-in-law Tammy cause she was given the sad job of coming downstairs at the church to tell me. I just crumbled and could not stop sobbing, I could hear myself, feel myself, as tho watching from afar.. but could not stop!  In a few moments Floye Keelen, touched me and asked to pray... just what I needed and that helped to calm me some.
   Now I have said ALL that to say all this.......
I regret nothing! Nothing had been left undone, in any of our relationships. And the Lord uses ALL of life to teach us much needed lessons. My lessons in this were ....
   God Gave me another Mom after mine died so young. A woman that loved me as her own...
   The Lord taught many lessons thru her as the years went on.. years we would go to Florida... then years after they moved up here. TIME is of the essence!  Memories can only be made by Time together. Laughing, Fussing at one another, Forgiving, Loving, and Laughing again.. Caregivers learn many valuable things that can be used over and over...
   Time is of the essence!! it surely is... We were on vacation that June in 2003, and on our way home opted to stop by my brothers, as usual. We were in a campground near cousin Esther's, we always stopped to see her too. BUT we couldn't get thru by phone, where we were, to brother Wayne, then Becky (our daughter made one of her calls to us) OK Now call your Uncle and see if it is OK to stop and let us know.  I AM GOING TO SEE HIM. We got together with him and with his sweet fiancee Delorus too. AND in a week he was gone! (As I looked back he was not his usual self that day.) Called home to be with the Lord he was, as he sat in his usual place in church that Sunday Morning... Now THAT is another story! :-) 
    So when you feel impressed to do something DO it... Do not put it off... And always take time for family... it may not be the kind of story books, but we are all we have.
     April... as I think and write... Smiles & Tears and wonderful memories that I can dwell on, & that's a good combination I think..
    The Topper of April... is the Death, Burial & Resurrection of Jesus...
    Died in Love for us with purpose.. to do the will of the Father and pay our sin debt and set us free from sin! Resurrection... He's Alive! I'm Forgiven! upon my repentance/ a change of mind & heart accepting what God says & Jesus did for me.. resulting in a change in living... My Debt is paid, I could never be good enough..  A place in heaven has been secured for me where I will meet up with those loved ones that have gone on before me, and we shall worship the Lord together thru all eternity!!
            Till next time... Thank you Lord for all your goodness & your many blessings... "Through it All"