Thank you, all. Your prayers have been very effective and I know the Lord is working.
The memorial service was amazing. I almost hate to admit it, but I actually enjoyed it. Best one I've ever been to!
The service was held at the church we belong to by the pastor of the church we had been visiting. Though I don't always agree with everything this pastor has said, as you know, I appreciate his messages and he was decidedly the best one for the task at hand. Our local church is currently without a permanent pastor and I've only met the interim once. I don't know if it's normal or not to bring in a pastor from another SDA church, but we got away with it!
The music was wonderful. Our own dear Sybil was at the piano, accompanied by a sweet 85 year old lady she brought with her who played organ on an electronic keyboard. (The organ at our church is broken.) Special music was sung by a mutual friend that Sybil and I have at the church we have been visiting. Pictures of Jeremy were shown on the screen before and after and our favorite was frozen in place during the service. Sybil also shared with me after that someone had come up and told them afterward that all about this service pointed to Jesus! To God be the glory! That's exactly what we wanted.
I was especially moved to find out just how many people Jeremy's life touched. I never stopped to think how many people he came in contact with in the last six years since he finishd his homeschooling. Folks from our local branch university campus, the places he worked, his friends, even students from the school he was assigned to. Such potential for the scattering of seeds! Wow!
A most special gift of that day was when this dear elderly couple who sits behind us at the church we belong to arrived with their daughter, whom I hadn't met before. I was shocked to find out that this daughter, I believe she is a nurse, had been with Jeremy the night he passed away! This couple said that their daughter had shared with them about this young man that they had lost at the hospital and how they were all broken up over it. Then this couple comes to church on Sabbath and learns that it was our son! With several hospitals in the city, and being in the most densely populated area of the state, and being in a small rural church outside the big city, it is quite obvious to me that this didn't just happen. It speaks to me of God's care for my son during his last hours of life and I have the comfort of knowing that someone was praying for him when I couldn't. You can probably imagine just how much this means to me! I will treasure this in the dark moments that are likely to come in the days ahead.
The burial the following day was almost anticlimatic. It was had to see the casket come out of the hearse and then later be lowered into the ground. A few of Jeremy's friends drove the two hours to get there and some folks that are friends of my mother and siblings were also there. I was glad for my mother that her pastor was conducting the graveside service. I'm sure it was a comfort to her and my brother and sister to have that support. I had spoken to the pastor on the way over and he was quite happy to honor my request. I'm sure it wasn't as it would have been had a SDA pastor been there, but it was good enough. My poor mother said that she had been thinking that she would be the next one to go. So hard to bury the young! But, I know I am far from alone in this. I look forward to the day when sin, sickness and death are finally destroyed! Hallelujah!
Yes, Dora, you are so right. Yesterday was hard. I was blessed to have Sybil call and we a nice time of sharing. We were moving in slow motion all day. I decided it would be best if we took the children out and do something special with them. In the afternoon we drove up to the mountains. I figured being out in God's creation would be healing. Then we spent the evening with our oldest son. He said that his day had been kind of strange (spent it grocery shopping, cleaning, and then taking his little one back to her mother's) and he was glad to spend the time with us.
Another thing that hit me yesterday is how hard it will be for my husband and son to return to work next week. My husband and both the boys work(ed) for the school police. Ben and our oldest are dispatchers and Jeremy was a campus security aide. They used to have a great time talking about work when we got together. No longer will Jeremy be calling out at the end of his shift in the afternoon. I've talked to both the guys about this and they say they will get through it. My son said that he thought about the possibility of breaking down while at work. I told him that it would be okay, everyone would understand. Please pray for strength for them!
