Opa January 16 1933 - January 19 2010

Even though I have not been loyal to my space in blog land, there have been things still happening in our lives on a daily basis. Last week Tuesday the Lord called home my grandfather who had been suffering with esophageal cancer and in the hospital for a mere 5 weeks. The cancer spread at a great pace and was all over his body within a couple weeks. Well, he had cancer for longer, but he was only truly diagnosed on December 14. On January 19, 3 days after his 77th birthday and on the same day as Ryan's, he peacefully passed away, surrounded by all his kids from across Canada with 1 in Holland and his wife by his side. We had his funeral on Saturday, January 23 based on his final request of Lord's Day 1 wherein God relays His promises to His children in both life and death.

'What is my comfort in life and death?

That I belong both in body and soul, in life and death, not to myself but to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ, who at the cost of His own blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil, that He protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit His purpose for my salvation. Therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him.'

On the Sunday before he passed away, Ryan, Camia and I visited him and knew not that it was the last time we would see him. It was an emotional time since he felt ready enough to die that he said his farewells. Of all the times that I visited him in the hospital, this was the one time that Camia was willing to sit on the bed beside him without getting upset. Opa always had smarties for her when she came to see him and that was all she would look at him for. After he gave her the smarties, then she would have nothing else to do with him. Until this time. This time she gave him hugs and kisses and held his hand. Every time we brought her to Opa, he would perk right up and smile. And even when he was at his weakest, he always found the energy to give her the box of smarties. She was the first one he said his goodbye to.

The last memory I have of my Opa is also when we visited him on that Sunday. He whispered in my ear a name that he had teased me with 13 years ago, and I haven't heard it since. I was convinced that there was nothing wrong with him and told Ryan he could go home. Opa then stuck his tongue out at me and giggled. For this reason, I skipped his viewing. I have a hard time with viewings, this is not the way I wanted to remember my Opa. Opa spent many years teasing me, and even in his dying moments he found the energy to tease me once more, and this is what I wanted to remember.

We had a family dinner on Sunday since some of my family was already leaving for their homes and their families out east. I missed Opa. When he ate dinners, and used his fingers instead of his fork, he would wipe them on his socks instead of the napkin. We reminisced about Opa and laughed and had some good family time together, with about 4 card games going on and several conversations.

Yes, Opa will be missed, but we live with the comfort knowing that he is with His Lord and is not suffering anymore and that one day we too will share in the richness of our Father's kingdom.