Daddy was never...

...not ever a man given to prayer.




...at least not that I knew of, but of course, he did serve in WWII...and you know what they say, "You never find an atheist in a foxhole".




However, that didn't mean my dad never called upon his Maker.  It wasn't unusual to hear him cry out to Him when he smashed his finger in a tractor hitch or dropped a gallon of freshly opened paint...or when you ran out of gas on the way home from Dodge and he had to come find you, because there were no cell phones then (I know, really shocking, and yes, I am THAT old).






If you had been there, you would know what I mean...




...you would have thought the Almighty was standing right there.




My mother, on the other hand, grew up a member of the Christian Church of Fowler, KS.  I went there once with my two uncles.  It's a small, quaint building, but they still managed to squeeze several very large stained glass windows into the walls.  It's really very beautiful in a really small town way.




I heard on several occasions my uncles and my mom laughing about the time Uncle Harold put marbles in the baptistery. That may be the most my family every got involved in any one church.




...which makes it all the more interesting that I got involved in the LDS church.




I'm a Mormon. 




There it is in black and white.  I joined a church that requires everything I have to give, except they didn't shave my head and make me wear a habit(is that how you spell the head cloth nuns wear?).  However, my boys did cut their hair very short and wore black name tags while on their missions.




...and now you are wondering where this blog is headed?




...me too...




...but somehow I'm going to tie in a text Matthew received from his best childhood friend, Uncle Clay.


Matthew sent a text out to everyone in his phone last night at 5:10 to tell them the news.  This morning Clay responded with a wonderful thought. 



Matt,


I've been thinking of Marie much of the night.  I don't know if the realization of the truthfulness of the gospel comes immediately or not.  My guess is no.  But, she must feel the warmth and love you've taught her would be there...and her husband, having been taught much more by now, must be laying it all our for her.  And in due time you will be able to perform those sacred ordinances for her to help make it complete.  What blessings.  Her heart must also go out to both of you for the love and caring you gave her.  Well done! There will be a void and a loss, but how great is our blessing to know where she is and what she is doing --without the physical limitations.  My best to both of you.  


Clay


...and Clay's text was a confirmation of what our family has been feeling.  Just minutes after mother was gone, I was kneeling by the bed holding her hand and Michael came in, hugged me and reminded me that she was finally back with daddy.  




..so while daddy was not a man given to prayer, his heart was pure as gold and he was there ready to receive her into Paradise.


There is just no way I can be unhappy with that knowledge planted in my soul.




It makes me smile to think of it...




...mother and daddy, hand in hand, dancing their way through Paradise.