Missing Grandma

Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is an appointed time for everything.  
And there is a time for every event under heaven-

On the one hand, there is great comfort in knowing that God knows about every event in our lives, and just when they will take place, and that not one of them is by chance.

On the other hand, that is a sobering thought, because we don't know. 

Things catch us off guard, because we take time for granted, like we have an unlimited supply of it.

A sharp reminder of this is when you lose someone unexpectedly.

 {Jodean Anne Elzinga Greenlaw - December 18, 1956 - January 20, 2014}

We lost our Gramma Jodi. I'll skip the details for privacy, but suffice it to say, it was like one day things were fine; the next day it all drastically changed.  Within five days, she was gone. As I write that I can hardly believe the words, I type.  Shocked, stunned, dismayed, that's how we are feeling.  

But God...

Two words that sum up so much. 

But God knew what was coming. He knew how all the events would unfold.  He knew it all before she was born. {Psalm 139:16} He knew it before the foundation of the world! 

But God knows His plan and purpose.  In His will there is peace and rest. I can trust my never-changing, never-failing God.

My flesh and my heart may fail 
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. {Psalm 73:26}

I'm going to cling to this.  

~ . . .  ~ . . . 

Dad married Jodi in 1997,  and ever since she has blended seamlessly into our family.

She was a devoted wife. 
She and Dad shared a lot of common interests but tops on the list were the arts, fishing and football.   As with most married couples, they complimented each other so well, filling in each other's gaps, adding strength to the other's weak spots.  

She was a super sweet mom. 
Technically, my step-mom, but as sweet as my own mother, always with a kind word, and a tender heart towards Eric and me.  
She always supported us and encouraged us as we walked the path of parenting, and home-educating.

{Jodi with Babe Ellie and me on a visit to our home in August 2007}

She was such a terrific grandma. 
She wasn't afraid to get messy with the grandkids, in fact, she loved it.  When Grandpa had a date to take the kids fishing, she went along too and helped them put worms on the line.
She drank in the grandkids.

{Gramma Jodi with Babe Dan - 2003}

She loved to be creative with them.  I remember once they went on an "explore" to find unique rocks and sticks that they could come home and paint.

{Gramma Jodi with Matt - 2003}

She was an avid cook, a real foodie, with the opinion that presentation is everything!  It was Jodi, who baked cookies with her then four year old grandson, letting him crack the eggs into the bowl, who ignited the passion for cooking in him.  {He is now a professional chef!}

{Jodi assisting Roger with his famed stuffed mushrooms. October 2012}

She was a great many things to so many people.

 Things I'll remember most about her:

She seemed to take the ordinary and turn it into extraordinary.
{from the way she wrapped gifts, to the way she presented food on a plate.}

She was savvy with fashion and was always "put together".

She had a special way with animals and a heart of compassion.

She enjoyed hunting and fishing.

She liked horse back riding.

Most of all she loved deeply and sincerely,

and our family will miss her greatly.