Jewells of Thought

My Heavenly Gracious Father, I Thank You for those you have put into my family! Looking over the photos of my Bishop family has been a wonderful time consuming labor of love. It’s funny how I can see now as an adult the various family members and how they look so similar to each other and most especially of Grandma and Grandpa.

Just this past week Lord, you gave me two amazing thoughts based on two different photos. Not only could I see a younger cousin of mine in our 10 year old Grandma Betty, but her older brother was seen in another photo of Grandma Betty’s younger brother Gene. This wouldn’t have happened ultimately without Grandma Betty and Grandpa Leo to start with, but also without their grandparents, which are my Aunt Carol and Uncle Jim. Those photos are precious because it shows the Lester family in the younger branches of our Bishop family. I don’t think they had as much time with our elders in the Lester family as us older generations did and I wish I could remember more of Great-Grandpa Arla’s stories than I do.

Oh Lord, Thank you for the technology that brought us photos. Seeing the image of those we miss dearly and who we may have never seen has been an amazing tool for people who are grieving and mourning. There is solace in being able to remember those who have gone on in photos where they were so full of life, sassy and downright vibrant in their own skin.

Today marks a year for our family as you know well Lord. We have the peace afforded us because of her salvation in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Although it still doesn’t stop our tears down here at times when we really miss her it is a measure of comfort that not every other family has in one’s death.

One year ago though… I became unsettled. Your still small voice Lord it kept me wondering about how my time was being spent. Months went by and I couldn’t get past this small voice feeling like a bee buzzing at me with every day I tried to avoid it. The situation was glaring at me every time I went to church. I was sitting with a sweet church lady and dear friend, Ms. Carol and it pierced my heart every time I thought about my Aunt’s death and my Grandma sitting alone without family at church. During the last 5 years of Grandma Rosemary’s life we did everything possible to spend time with her nearly living in that nursing home with her. Why didn’t I take that same initiative to spending time with my last living Grandparent who just happened to be 97 years old!

Gracious Lord, I didn’t want to leave my church and yet I was seeing that it might be necessary. There’s a song, I don’t remember the title but the words have pierced my soul over and over again. I believe the words were similar to this: I have prayed over and over, but then God says that’s why I sent you. This is a very powerful statement, but considering the past 6 months doing God’s will is truly empowering. Not only do I get to spend this precious time with Grandma and see that beautiful smile of hers, I get to sing in her spot in the choir and do specials for her. Plus she is now 98 years young.

Lord I have more peace than I did during those months of hiding from the buzzing bee that I knew would bring about a sweeping change in my life. I have never been to a church where nearly everyone in the congregation has seen me grow up because I grew up visiting this church all throughout my life. The Harbins, Lesters and Bishops all went to church here and we married into the Beck Family as well. From a historian’s perspective my family has been a part of this church for nearly all of its 205 years. The Lord does work in mysterious ways and I am grateful for this past year and the experiences I have been given by a loving Lord and Savior.