Beth Hildebrand

Oct 19, 20168 min read

Easy And Hard Eucharisteos The Past 4 Months

The wind whips as the few, weary summer flowers still try to hang on as Hurricane Matthew drenches the first weekend of October. October already?

It’s well past my summer entry of joy counts here on my blog. The list continued on scrap pieces of paper and the phone but every quarter I try to get them in the blog where my count started four years ago. Four years ago?!

Not only is there a large gap in joy count posts, but really any post. It’s been a different season for me. One of waiting, loss, questions and grieving. It’s been a season of writing even though it doesn’t show up here.

It’s been a season of smallness. And that’s not a bad thing. In the busy-ness of life there comes times when we need to step back, step down, or even step off. Sometimes we need to slow down the pace. Sometimes we’re forced to slow down the rhythm of life. Or the speed of life. And since that’s where I’ve been, I haven’t been over here as much. And it’s not because I don’t want to, it just seems to be woven in with the smallness and simple-ness of where I am.

But one of the simplest things to do is to be thankful and grateful and to thank God for those small gifts in life that really aren’t that small. Because anything we credit to God gives Him glory, and to me that’s pretty big – whether it’s a miracle or simply giggling with a child. Even the simple occurrences and notices in our daily lives, that we can thank HIM for, is an act of worship.

So, here’s what I’ve thanked You for Father the past few months…

G inducted into National Honor Society

#2930 Hard eucharisteo (well many of these in this post are hard eucharisteos) – Dad having surgery but glad it’s a plan

#2931 Answered prayers to have a care plan for dad

#2932 The just at right time DP praying for me and dad

#2933 L’s Spanish test results – exceeding expectations and completed Spanish immersion program

#2934 G takes me to Moe’s for lunch on half school day of exams

#2935 Dad’s comments that made us laugh

#2936 Giddy Up Eunice that SD gave me to take to the beach

#2937 Dr. Kavde surgeron who was personable

#2938 Dad’s nurses and CNAs

#2939 Chimes sound Laurie recorded and sent me from the lake while driving into the hospital parking lot

#2940 Our first small group teen graduation party – bittersweet

#2941 Neighbor keeping Levi

#2942 Time at the beach with extended family for the 4th time

#2943 sunrise time

#2944 Hard eucharisteo – windy and painful sunrise being pelted by sand on beach

#2945journaling on the lifeguard stand

#2946 grains of sand my journal captured

#2947 Thankful wind subsides enough to take some pictures of sunrise

#2948 wearing jacket on beach in June

#2949 moonrises on beach

#2950 L playing her ukelele on the beach

#2951 Swim coach proclaims Jesus Christ at swim practice

#2952 friends made on summer swimteam

#2953 Dad 72nd Birthday and L’s 13th

#2954 13th Movie party for L

#2955 Giddy Up Eunice – WONDERFUL book!

#2956View from the kitchen table of the flowers in the yard

#2957 Unexpected email from friend JM

#2958 Dressing as a cow and going to breakfast with son at CFA

#2959 Summer thunderstorms

#2960 submitting lighting picture to Local news weatherman

#2961 seeing my photo on the news!

#2962 Evening at the pool with friends

#2963 J and L’s wedding – and dancing at it!

#2964 Learning a new line dance

#2965 Seeing a revival in Burlington

#2966 Celebrating July 3 with friends

#2967 Listening to friend who is struggling

#2968 Making breakfast for the neighbors after the wedding day

#2969 Holding friend’s new baby

#2970 Hibiscus in full bloom

#2971 Hard eucharisteo – writing dad an 8 page letter

#2972 The letter dad wrote me Oct. 1993

#2973 Showing son how to cook a new recipe

#2974 Niece catching lightning bugs

#2975 This couple. Scott’s grandparents. Love!

#2976 First college tour for son

#2977 Pretty campus in Virginia

#2978 Getting lunch at a local restaurant with son and hubby

#2979 Daughter getting spoiled at G and Mamaw’s

#2980 Husband’s cousin from AZ came to visit us

#2981 Text from dad thanking me for the letter I wrote him

#2982 Edmund being dad’s mentor

#2983 Silence with dad…just being together.

#2984 Afternoon shopping with sister

#2985 Going to Ashworth’s Drug Store and it looked just like it did when I was a child

#2986 Orange-Aids at Ashworths

#2987 Going on date with Dad and sister to Five Guys – one of his favorites!

#2988 Hearing stories from dad’s younger years

#2989 Giving dad a joy dare count

#2990 A hug with dad

#2991 Watching lightning through clouds

#2992 Unexpected walk with Edmund

#2993 One day of unexpected gifts: friend, CT publishing church blog post, day with college roomie, Gran spoiling daughter and niece, letter from mom on bed and reading it about dad and her (and music as worship and joy when she know others are worshipping when listening is all worth it.

#2994 The conversation in bed with mom

#2995 Afternoon with college roomie like old times

#2996 Duck donuts

#2997 Friend calling just to check on me

#2998 Reading friends first edit of her first book

#2999 19th anniversary with my husband

#3000 Son making the soccer team for Jr. year of high school

#3001 Watching L, C and mom making fairy gardens

#3002 Cinnamon bread from Great Harvest Bread Company

#3003 Adventure of going back again once we got home

#3004 Bringing joy to mom by letting her take her oldest granddaughters out shopping and spoiling them

#3005 Morning rain

#3006 Test from JMOT about the hymn day – “Dying in the West” by Mary Lathbury. JM encourages me so.

#3007 Seeing high school friend at hospital even though her mom’s in surgery and my dad is recovering from surgery and about to be admitted to Hospice

#3008 Massaging dad’s arms and shoulder in hospital bed to help alleviate pain

#3009 Clinch cross JMOT gave mom and dad

#3010 Hospice space available for dad

#3011 Comments from dad that still made us laugh

#3012 Dad’s funny comments at the hospital

#3013 Eddison, the Chaplin from Haiti, at the Hospice who talked and prayed with my sister and me.

#3014 Dad puckering up to give mom one last kiss after he had not been “awake” all day.

#3015 Dad smiled at me when didn’t expect another one

#3016 Dr. Mark Yoffee

#3017 Little and big ways God revealed Himself for us those hard days

#3018 Daddy holding the wooden cross most of time in hospice and when he passed

#3019 BM and LM came

#3020 All Dad’s people came to see him before he passed.

#3021 Small group girls driving here for half an hour to give me hugs and donuts

#3022 Beautiful, peaceful landscaping around Hospice

#3023 Friends who brought lunch for me, sister and mom to take a break from watching dad

#3024 Hard eucharisteo: Dad passed away and is now healed and no longer in pain and seeing Jesus face to face in Heaven

#3025 Being with mom and sister the few days before dad’s passing.

#3026 Being together with aunt and uncle when dad passes

#3027 Edmund coming at the perfect time after dad passed and prayed for and with mom, my sister and I with dad before he was taken away to the funeral home

#3028 My parent’s neighbors

#3029 Hearing mom speak of faith

#3030 The stories Billy and Woody told at Dad’s service

#3031 Hearing the blue grass band and banjo playing and singing “I’ll Fly Away” at Dad’s service. He loved blue-grass music.

#3032 2 Cor. 3:16-18 – reading to Daddy the last day of his life on this side of heaven.

#3033 Reading Romans 8 to Daddy

#3034 Reading 2 Cor. 5 to Daddy and then Edmund reads it to my sister, mom and me shortly after Dad passed too

#3035 A guest writer asked out- of- the- blue if she can write for the SMCW blog when it was my turn when Dad passed

#3036 The angel-CNA who took care of Dad at Hospice and un-expectantly seeing her at Aldi’s the day after he passed. She shared some of her story, her faith and condolences.

#3037 The Holy Spirit signs He gave mom the last week of Dad’s life.

#3038 Edmund told us that Dad told him the last time they talked that he “was moving onto the bridge”. (transition from earth to heaven) I loved how Dad liked to speak in analogies.

#3039 Friends from out of town who came to dad’s service and reception

#3040 Tears cried with mom and sister. Heart to heart talks

#3041 The things mom said that dad thought about me

#3042 All the people who brought food and necessities after Dad died

#3043 Fruit salad

#3044 Spending time with the Morgans – including the cousins.

#3045 Butterflies all over bush when we get back from Raleigh

#3046 The two hours of time alone the first evening we got home from Dad’s house, kneeling at the alter-bench my dad made me. Which also was spent beginning to write his story.

#3047 The song “Great Are You Lord”

#3048 Healthy Dr. report

#3049 My nurse-friend who did a great job getting my blood – and being in Bible study with her a few years ago

#3050 Beautiful weather for a football game and soccer game one weekend

#3051 Friends who keep checking on me

#3052 Seeing our wonderful kids all grown up going to 8th and 11th grades

#3053 L making auditions for James and the Giant Peach

#3054 L persevered

#3055 All the meals friends brought us

#3056 Vitamin D3 – I found out blood results which showed they were low. Then 30 minutes later SD gave me a jar of them not having heard my report.

#3057 The book JM sent me by Amy Carmichael “I Come Quietly to Meet You”

#3058 Stamps that old friend sent for all the thank-you notes to write

#3059 Letter that LP wrote me to guide me through grief

#3060 Sitting in Dad’s chair hearing football game on TV. Many memories

#3061 Getting ice cream at son’s work for Levi on a hot summer day

#3062 Husband helping mom with legalities

#3062 Writing 10 page about last days and memories of Dad

#3063 Sending my story to 1 friend who wrote back such kind words – the one who always cheers me on to write.

#3064 Hard Eucharistio – Call on Sept 19 from LM and talked for 45 min and she told me truth about who I am through Christ and that satan is trying hard to attack me. Then I got a text from LP and I was on her heart so she texted me. Then while I was all emotional while praying, I got a text from SR saying I love you because she thought the Holy spirit told her to reach out to me at that moment. Those texts were right when I was crying on the porch when it was pouring rain outside. The first day it’s rained since Dad has died. Then I got a long text from JD and cards from DR and aunt.

#3065 Heart-felt comments from other women in the Woven: The Art of Discipleship study

#3066 Pink October flowers along the bridge

#3067 L’s performing on the stage for James and the Giant Peach