In Life and In Death

We are at our daughter's place often these days and will get chances to put our grand kids to bed. Just received a letter about the recent death of an aunt and it included my uncle's words about their last evening together. Kind of like book ends. Put your kids to bed with prayer and a blessing... late in life be put to bed with a prayer and a blessing to wake up with Jesus.

These words from my uncle speak of the blessing of memorization for times such as that (and many other times of faith crisis/challenge that come between childhood and death). So sad when I encountered parents (and by default, their kids) who so strongly fought against memorization in classes like confirmation and Sunday School. Kids (and adults, by the way) are quite capable of doing the memorization. Not doing that discipline leaves them with an empty well when they want/need to draw on it later in life.

Here are the words of the last moments the night before my aunt's passing into eternal life with Jesus:
"That was true last night when I was ready for bed. I leaned over close and said the evening prayer and the Lord's prayer, and familiar Scripture and blessed her goodnight. She didn't respond much but this was her final commendation to the care and love of God. She went to sleep then and never woke up this side of eternity. As she slept the angels took her to God to wake up in Heaven. I shall miss her greatly, but I've done much grieving the past couple months. Now I mainly feel gratitude that God has granted her peace and victory of Eternal life."

What a blessing to have your mind and heart filled with the words of God found in Scripture, and with prayers that can come easily back to be spoken, for yourself, for your children, for your spouse, for your friends and more. And one of the best ways to get it to stay in our brain is to do it with music/song.