Well, I was on a posting hot streak for a bit…then it stopped.
Just after I posted the last time I called The Wife from just outside of the internet cafe. She said her dad left the hospital to go Hospice, but he wanted to go home for the “last days”. She felt the end was pretty soon. And I get a call the next morning from Mississippi saying my father in law had died in the early morning.
So I had that weight of the entire situation on me at that point. Wow…it was heavy. But I knew I needed to go home to be with my family. So after spending WAY too long in airports all day Wednesday, I finally get back to my own bed in my own house just before 1AM. It’s a long story, but I had to deal with ticketing hoops to jump through, naps in airports, immigration (which is much more thorough coming into the US than into Costa Rica), head aches, flight delays, and total plane switches.
But visitation was last night, and the funeral was today. I was able to see some old friends and spend some time in conversation and visiting with them. It was really good. And lots and lots of family too. It was a bitter sweet funeral. So sad to see him go so early (only 61 years old), but he’d been through a whole lot recently and it was wearing him out til his body was just spent.
I’m still in Tupelo right now. We’ll trek back to Clinton tomorrow sometime. But please keep praying for the fam. Especially my mother in law. She’s been such a trooper and saint. But I think that once the dust settles that things will start to fully sink in. She’s an amazing lady. But be in prayer for her.
And still be praying for my team down in Costa Rica. I keep looking at my watch imagining what they’re doing and where they are and everything. I’ve had people ask me if I was going to go back down there. While it would be quite nice, I just don’t see it happening. But be in prayer for them as they continue to build church buildings, build relationships, and build the Kingdom of God.
Funerals are not my thing, either. I hope when it is “my time” people will remember that and not have me laid out in a box for viewing. Cremate my body (I found out it is illegal to throw a body off a bridge to let the catfish do the job of disposal.), scatter my ashes or just have the crematorium dispose of them — whatever; beyond that, I don’t care. If someone wants to have a memorial service, fine; but I would prefer an upbeat atmosphere, music, fun and food — a celebration rather than something mournful.
Prayers for your father-in-law’s family, especially for his wife.