A Time for Goodbyes and Blessed Assurance

Lauren and I returned home from Iowa for his mom's funeral on Tuesday, and even though it was tiring to travel, especially for Lauren since he was there, came home and left again in 2 days, the days were filled with blessings from God. The time spent with family, the visits by family friends, and the funeral service for Gert were all a healing balm to our souls. The weather on the day of the funeral was beautiful; sunny with fluffy white clouds and mild, as if she ordered it herself. One of the pastors shared a message for the great grandchildren and adult grandchildren, bringing tears to all of our eyes as we sang "Jesus Loves Me" with them. The touching stories of Gert the adult grandchildren wrote were so very sweet, and Lauren read them each with the love they were written. The message of Christ's salvation shared byanother pastor was exactly as Gert would've wanted, sharing the hope and grace He has to offer us all.

Among the hymns we sang was "Blessed Assurance", and this was especially touching for Lauren, as he had listened to it with his mom in the hospital and in the car on the way home. He believes he was listening to it at the time when she passed away; God is so good. I can imagine Gert singing it as she met Jesus:
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born if His Spirit, washed in his blood!
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.