Set Ayet (Grandma)

Sometimes the time is just right.
Today, God whispered the words, "Just do it. It will be OK."
Today we told the kids that Grandma had gone to heaven.

Josh and Jameson and I have had many thought provoking conversations about heaven lately. Last week, they both said, "I want to go right now." We talked about how heaven is something so wonderful that we have to look forward to because of Jesus, but we shouldn't live our lives waiting to die. We should live our lives the way Jesus would want us to. We should take every single day that we are given to worship God, to serve God, and to win others over for God's kingdom.

That being said, this woman who helped raise them did just that. I can't even explain how much I adore and honor this woman who watched her own children die one by one, took on all of her grandchildren to raise, and then very selflessly made sure they would all be taken care of when she was gone. She lived her life knowing that she was going to heaven, but she also made sure that the kingdom of heaven would be glorified by her works.

The kids handled the news very well. There were tears shed by all... especially Justine who just can't stand to see others cry. We talked about Grandma and all the things we loved about her. We talked about heaven and how Grandma is no longer sick. She can see and walk and do all of the things she couldn't do on earth. And she is being reunited with her children.

The shining star of this is that "S", their cousin, is now going to be adopted. We had a wonderful video sent to us by the Cake Family which we showed the kids. They laughed and cried as they watched their beautiful cousin on video. Another something we weren't expecting is that one of the families who helped make the video fell in love with Thomas, "S" s older brother. They are now working on getting him into the states on an educational visa. He will have to take the TOEFEL exam and there's a lot of work to be done, but it's possible there were be 6 of grandma's grandchildren reunited in the US soon.

We showed the kids on our big wall map where "S" will live. We showed them where Thomas may be, where Kalkidan and Michael live, and where we live... potentially 4 families in 4 different parts of the country all reaping the benefits of this one woman who would not give up, who would not accept the fate for her grandchildren that had taken her children, who had more faith in God in her pinkie finger than most of us have in our entire bodies.

As I watch the video and I hear Thomas and "S" say that they will find each other again some day, I have so many different emotions. I am torn. I am angry. Angry that any of this is necessary. Angry that this family has been whittled away, one piece at a time. Sad and Angry.

I am also amazed. I am amazed that this one torn apart family... one of millions like it... has brought together so many people who otherwise would have never known each other. The acts of this one woman has helped bring together three families so far who pray for each other, who cry for each other, who will forever be connected to each other. I see what Christ has done for us and for the Killeen's and the Cake's and all the other families, and I see that this is what God intended for us to be.
This is truly a representation of the body of Christ.