Family Circle

A jewel.  That is a good word for Don.  He passed away just over a month ago on Sept. 15, 2014.  He was 95.  When Don's 95th birthday rolled around you'd still find these activities in his days... doing exercises, one of them being pull-ups... pull ups people! Playing golf.  Weekly checking out 5 books from the library.  And yearly reading the Bible cover to cover.

Don is Chad's grandfather on his dad's side.  I really can't say I knew Don all that well.  In our almost 15 yr marriage, I'd say we only spent 15 or so different visits together... but on the list of 5 grandfather's I've had, Don left a lasting mark on me before he passed on.

It was just last Christmas, 12.25.13.  Chad and I went to his house for the afternoon and it just so happened that year we were the only ones there... that is usually not the case.  He was wearing his typical festive red vest... and I don't believe started his usual gin until we arrived... maybe also a first.  And that wasn't the last of the firsts.

We weren't too far into conversation... the 3 of us in a circle of sorts, Don in a recliner, Chad and I directly across from him in two smaller chairs... when he began discussion on a topic that embraced the rest of our 3 hour visit.  Here is an entry from my personal journal that I wrote the very next day kinda hitting the main points... i didn't want to forget it.

Visit to Don's, 12.25.13.
Spoke of life with children.
How very different the four walls are with 2 children.  Specifically kept saying two, not just one.  Felt like the Lord was telling him that we are to have children and soon.  He kept saying, "Two children in the next 6 months."  He said, "Can you just picture what it would be like coming home and having two little blond headed girls come run out to greet you."  He said, "You are to raise them, love them, say prayers to them every nite and read the Bible to them".  He said we needed to "fight for our children."  That is the Lord's plan for us to have them and bring them into the world for eternity.

He reiterated that we are all a part of God's family and that our children are waiting on us and we don't have time to mess around.  More than once he said he wanted our decision on if we would adopt children.  Or then he'd say to get pregnant would be great, and repeatedly said within 6 months. No matter how C tried to change the topic, he'd wheel back around to this one, usually with, "Now do we have an agreement on this having children?"

Chad left the room for a minute and it was just Don and me.  That's when he told me I worried him, about how if I'm not smiling or laughing I'm very serious.  He said, "Do something for me, I need you to learn to be happy."  I asked him his advice on how to do that, "Everyone knows how, you read your Bible, talk to the Lord, and raise children," he said.

My favorite of his many words, "I want for the two of you to be so happy relationally and as parents."  That sounded like music to my ears I told him.  And he seemed pleased.  He said he'd be talking to the Lord tonite about us.

Two interesting things about this conversation.  One... I, nor Chad, had ever heard Don talk about the Lord.  Two... Chad and I had just spent some serious discussion over the summer about children and that door for him was closed.

Guess who the most influential person is in my husband's life?  3 letters.
Guess who's mind I could see freaking out a bit for the drive home that Christmas day.  4 letters.
Guess who moved in a mighty way in our lives that nite and then again 4 months later when this girl signed up for in vitro and on 5.26.14 baby C was a reality... Don said he'd be talking to him about us... and as C and I stood in front of Don's casket on 9.19.14... I knew he had.

Here is Don's obituary.  When I read it and saw the mentioning of our little one that's on the way... my heart filled full with a special tie that will always bind my heart to Don, his words are ringing true in my life and he could have no idea how special that is for me to live out.