{"id":5125,"date":"2010-02-22T07:00:05","date_gmt":"2010-02-22T13:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/?p=5125"},"modified":"2010-02-24T10:45:31","modified_gmt":"2010-02-24T16:45:31","slug":"getting-to-know-jesus-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/getting-to-know-jesus-better\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting to know Jesus better"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Granddad<\/a> <\/p>\n

I was asked to share a bit at my grandmother’s funeral Saturday morning. These are my notes:
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

In December of 2007 I asked Grandma and Granddad to come to our home in Red Oak where I interviewed each of them for roughly an hour. <\/p>\n

I asked her about her life, her faith, her joys and her struggles.<\/p>\n

And like Granddad, she didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have an unkind thing to say about anyone.<\/p>\n

I thought I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d share just a few of the things that really stood out to me during our brief chat\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

I started off asking her about several members of her family, including her mom\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mother. She said one of her fondest memories of her grandmother was how much time she spent in the Scriptures. <\/p>\n

She told me about a time she needed to memorize a verse for school \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and my grandma said she knew exactly who to go to \u00e2\u20ac\u201c her grandmother \u00e2\u20ac\u201c who taught her:<\/p>\n

A word fitly spoken is like apple\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s of gold in a setting of silver. Prov 25:11 KJV (her preferred version)\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Thinking back on that verse and Grandma\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life, it truly sums up so much of her life. She was always caring and loving and encouraging with her words.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

As we continued the interview, we talked about her joys in life and her happiest moments \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and she told me that the happiest days of her life were those spent with the tall guy \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and no \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think she was referring to me. <\/p>\n

Even though I may have ultimately beat Granddad in height no one could ever take that special place that they held for each other in their hearts. <\/p>\n

They spent 59 years together before Granddad passed away last March. I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t remember a time they weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t together. They were always at each other\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s side caring for one another and truly loving one another and their family.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Thinking about grandma also reminds me of her special attention to education. She would always help us with homework when asked and even hosted \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Grandma\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pre-K\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for Kara.<\/p>\n

I would have never guessed it — if she hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fessed up to it during our interview — that she only completed school through the 10th grade. <\/p>\n

Mom says she was a little embarrassed by that, but when I think of all she accomplished in place of that diploma \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I celebrate it.<\/p>\n

Rather than focusing on her own education, she stayed home to care for her family after her mother became sick.<\/p>\n

It was just another example of grandma always putting others before herself.<\/p>\n

And I also believe it was her passion for education that ultimately led her own daughters to graduate college and go on to become teachers themselves.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

And not only did she have a passion for education \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but just like her grandma \u00e2\u20ac\u201c my grandma always had a passion for Scripture.<\/p>\n

I always impressed with Grandma\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s passion and knowledge of the Bible.<\/p>\n

She was just 19 when she started teaching Sunday school \u00e2\u20ac\u201c she taught her peers and others for more than 40 years. <\/p>\n

I feel privileged and lucky to have been there the last Sunday she taught at Pleasant Mound United Methodist Church \u00e2\u20ac\u201c where Grandma and Granddad were active members for more than 4 decades.<\/p>\n

When I asked her about her Sunday school teaching she told me, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When I started — I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really prepared \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I just studied the Bible and shared what I learned with others.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

As a small group leader myself, I dream of people catching that same vision and attitude towards Scripture and our faith. <\/p>\n

No training, no special courses — just a passion for studying God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s word and a passion for sharing what they learn with others. <\/p>\n

Not sharing with \u00e2\u20ac\u0153boastful knowledge that puffs up\u00e2\u20ac\u009d but with love, graciousness and understanding like grandma had.<\/p>\n

Simply sharing what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned in your own studies with others.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

There are just so many wonderful memories. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure the stories could go on for days.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

But as we gather together to grieve and mourn the loss of Grandma\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s physical presence in our lives, I think back to the words she shared that had been encouragement to her over the years\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

When her own mother was on her death bed, she told grandma – \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need flowers in heaven.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nIt seems very hard for me to imagine my grandma not surrounded by her amazing flower garden in the spring \u00e2\u20ac\u201c blooming full of tulips \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but I know that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the least of her concerns now.<\/p>\n

Grandma also shared a poem that she held dear in times of personal struggle \u00e2\u20ac\u201c especially after my sister Amy passed away:<\/p>\n

Give me the faith that asks not why
\nI shall know God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s plan by and by
\nGive me the faith that looks at pain
\nAnd says it will be right again
\nGive me the faith to live my life with all its joy, its troubles and strife
\nAnd then to go with the setting sun
\nKnowing God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s will has been done\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She added: <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153My faith has helped me get through the struggles in life. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what the future holds but I do know I trust in God as my redeemer.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

You see, Grandma had a good clear perception of her faith \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it was all about getting to know Jesus better.<\/p>\n

When she was 13 she walked the aisle during a worship service in East Texas and told the pastor, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I want to know the Lord better.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

She told me she didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think the pastor fully understood her \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but she knew that Jesus did and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what mattered.<\/p>\n

And I firmly believe she spent the rest of her life getting to know Jesus better and better day by day.<\/p>\n

I can also say that I now know Jesus better because of the life she lived and the example she gave all of us.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

As we closed our interview back in 2007, I asked grandma for any other advice or thoughts.<\/p>\n

She told me:<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I pray that you will have been blessed by knowing your grandmother and your grandfather\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n

To that I said \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and still say — <\/p>\n

I have been — indeed. <\/p>\n

We all have been \u00e2\u20ac\u201c without a doubt.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was asked to share a bit at my grandmother’s funeral Saturday morning. These are my notes:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10],"tags":[3085,2859,3082,2455,3084],"class_list":["post-5125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mi-familia","tag-funeral","tag-grandma","tag-in-memory","tag-notes","tag-oleta-knotts"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pEnSo-1kF","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5125\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}