Nanny's House Party
It seems pretty clear that Nanny's House Party is going to end soon. After almost three weeks of three square and beautiful meals a day, hours of sitting by the fire under a special blanket won at bingo, and a tuck-in every night with a sugar-free cookie and a heated rice bag, Nanny sat with her breakfast tray this morning and tearfully realized that she could not eat.
Shortly after that--and after an excruciatingly slow but driven-by-a-will-of-iron trip to the potty, my mother and I tucked her into her bed for perhaps the last tuck. She's been there since morning, in and out of sleep, with periods of long, long apnea, times of distress, and other periods of peaceful good humor.
We know she's ready.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
86 comments:
Oh, Anna- what a beautiful and excruciatingly painful time this is for you... I've said a prayer. God bless your family, and bring Nanny home on His wing.
I'm praying for you and I'm praying for peace. The Lord will take care of her. HUGS to you and to your family. You are all in my prayers.
Times like these sure bring things into perspective. May you feel the love of Christ as this transitions happens...
M.
I will be praying for peace for your Nanny and your family. This is a very difficult and painful time, but also a beautiful one, as you know she will be in Heaven soon.
I've been praying for you and your grandma.... I hope you are comforted.
Grace and peace to you all. May you feel God's presence throughout.
Strength to you and the family. Will pray for you all:-)
I usually just pop in and read you on my reader, but wanted to take the time to offer up prayers for your family today. Please know that I will continue to pray.
Praying for each of you. I pray you will remember this time with sweetness. She is so fortunate to have her family around her and caring for her so dearly in her last days.
When by his grace, I shall look on his face
That will be GLORY, be GLORY for me.
Praying for you.
God bless you.
I just prayed for blessings for your family as Nanny goes to be with the Lord.
Praying for you...
What a beautiful person you are.
Peace be with you.
Lynne in NC
Praying
Anna, I'm praying for you and your family. May our Savior comfort you at this difficult time.
Praying for you and yours.
You are in my prayers....
Barb in Nebraska
I have been through these same last days with a loved one and feel your pain and thoughtfulness as you watch a loved one slip away. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your nanny.
Bless you all!
"Lord God, grant this family peace, this Nanny rest, and your precious arms outstretched to them all. Amen."
Laura
Hugs and prayers. What a blessing you are to your family.
Dear, dear Anna,
I so recently went through this with my mother. It is a surreal time when voices are hushed and footsteps are quiet. May the presence of God be very near to you during your time of mourning. You will always be thankful you had the privilege of assisting her during her final days and your memories will be rich and lasting. Lovingly, Judy
Anna, what a hard but special time. I pray the Lord will give you all his peace,
I have got my leave, bid me farewell, my sisters!
I bow to you all and take my departure.
Here I give back the keys of my door, and I give up all claims of my house. I only ask for last kind words from you.
We were neighbours for long, but I received far more than I could give. Now the day has dawned and the lamp that lit my dark corner is out. A summons has come and I am ready for my journey.
Tagore, from Gitanjali, XCIII
Hannah
May you all have strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow!
I lost my dear granmother on Dec.6. I empathize with you as I know your path right now. Praise the Lord she is ready. It makes all the difference. There is hope in the sadness. Prayers!!
I pray that the Lord ushers her home swiftly, and peacefully. May the Lord keep all of you during this difficult, but special time.
The Lord shine the light of His countenance upon you all and give you peace.
I cried when I read your post -- not out of sorrow, but of the bittersweetness of the moment. I feel impressed to send you a verse and a song:
"I will be your God through all your lifetime...I made you and I will care for you...." Isaiah 46:4TLB
Excerpts from "Be Still My Soul" by Kim Noblitt (c) Integrity Music
Be still my soul, God knows your way
And He will guide you for His Name's sake
Plunge in the rivers of His grace
Rest in the arms of His embrace
One thing you need and nothing more
To hear the whisper of your Lord
Anna,
i am praying for you and your family at this time may God comfort you all.
Oh Anna, the passing of God-fearing loved ones is so bittersweet. With a moment of triumph ~ knowing they're Home and that we'll meet again. But oh how we miss them.
Take good care of yourself.
I too pop in through my reader and even reading these comments I can see God's name being praised through this...
All Glory to God and may He comfort you all and bring His sweet child quickly to where our hearts all long to be.
Your blog is a ministry- thank you for sharing it, even to strangers like me.
Thoughts and prayers are with you. During the times that I have sat and done what you are doing.....I have found that having key people in that persons life go in and out of the room seems to make a difference. Some people actually wait for certain people to either come or leave. Does that make sense???? Wishing you peace.
Mary
God bless you and your family, especially your Nanny.
Beautiful words. It is a holy time. God be with all of you.
Jesus' words: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going" John 14:1-4
My husband and I had the sad privilege of ushering my father-in-law into the arms of Jesus - it was a holy, holy moment.
I am praying for your family today.
Many blessings and comfort to you and your family during this difficult but precious time. I went through something similar with my Nanny.
I also want to thank you for sharing your experience with us.--I've been so blessed by your posts.
Hugs,
~Mrs.B
May God give you all peace and comfort. Praying for you.
all love and care ... our thoughts remain with you all.
fly well Nanny ...
Denise
xx
May God keep you and bless you and may His face shine upon you and your family at all times but especially now.
Hugs and thoughts xx
God be with you as you tuck her in to His loving arms.
Anna, Your blog is a constant inspiration for me...a quiet and powerful reminder that the Lord Jesus is with us at each step, each breath. My prayers are with you and yours during this time/ My first real experience with letting someone go home to the Lord was when my grandfather stayed with us during his last months when I was twelve. I learned then that death isn't dying...it's going home. What a wonderful gift you have given your children by letting their wonderful Nannie share her last days here with them and let them watch her go home with grace and the love of the Lord! At 35, I still cherish that time. You are such a beautiful person! May the Lord bless you with his grace.
God Bless You All
Never weather-beaten sail more willing bent to shore,
Never tired pilgrim's limbs affected slumber more,
Than my wearied sprite now longs to fly out of my troubled breast.
O come quickly sweetest Lord, and take my soul to rest.
Ever blooming are the joys of heaven's high paradise,
Cold age deafs not there our ears, nor vapour dims our eyes;
Glory there the sun outshines, whose beams the blessed only see;
O come quickly glorious Lord, and raise my sprite to thee.
Thomas Campion. 1567-1620
I thought you might appreciate the words of this hymn, which meant a great deal to my father when he was dying, and which we sang at his funeral. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
thoughts and prayers are with you.
I am a long-time reader of but never commenter on your blog.
This post brought back so many memories of caring for my mother-in-law in her last days of a hard battle with pancreatic cancer.
We did the exact same thing with her, that last stubborn shuffle to the bathroom and back to bed for the last time.
It will be 4 years now that she's gone, but I can still remember how very,very near and very,very real the presence of the Lord was during that last day, those final few hours.
Peace and grace be with you and your entire family.
Soft hugs to all in your family...
Dear Anna,
Psalm 23 was such a great comfort to me while we were experiencing what you are right now. My prayers are with you all.
Your experience reminds me so much of the bittersweet time of my Papa's passing a few years ago. I stop and say a prayer for you all right this very minute. . .
Emily
God Bless you Anna, and your family.
How precious that she will go from the loving arms of her family, to the loving arms of Jesus!
Praying.
This is a bitersweet time for you. I am praying that she would just pass in her sleep, and be welcomed into the arms of Jesus. May God fill you and your entire family with peace, and comfort, and the joy of knowing that when she passes, that she will be in the truly best place ever.
You are in my prayers,
Christina
Much love and prayers to you all. Agreeing with you in prayer on the "come quickly," too.
Praying for peace and ease for her as she goes, and for comfort for you and your family.
Oh, Anna.
Praying for you! You are so inspiring:) We have watch you now for the past few weeks give Love to another, unselfish Love. You could have become bitter but your Love was so bright that we could all see and feel it.
God Bless you and your family!
Renee
Anna and family,
Praying for you. Thank God for victory in Jesus, our Savior forever.
Anna ~ Praying for you and your family. How precious to know that the Lord delights in the coming home of His saints. May He wrap you all in His loving comfort.
Praying for you all today. May you be filled with peace, hope and comfort.
oh anna,
hugs and prayers are with you.
Come quickly Lord.
Wow. Peace and grace to you, Anna.
ever so bittersweet.
bless her sweetly, dear Lord.
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Prayers here for peace and comfort---for you, your dear Family, and your sweet Nanny. What a blessing to have the reassurance of Jesus' love, and a blissful home forever with Him.
Robin in Ca.
" When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie; My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply "
What a blessing your blog has been.
I have been praying for you, your grandmother and your family. Praying that she will pass quietly in her sleep.
May God's will be done on earth as it is in Heaven and may He give you the grace that is needed for the moment.
hugs
Kimmie
mama to 6
one homemade and 5 adopted
God bless you all.
I am thinking of your family right now- loving thoughts and prayers your way.
I pray that God's peace may comfort every last one of you, I admire you Anna, your strength shows me that I may have that same strength.
Blessings~
Kelly
Wishing you peace and strength.
Blessings on you and your Nanny. May He keep you in all safe in the hollow of His very big and comforting hand during this journey of the soul.
praying for you all.
What a privilege to share these moments with you, Anna, knowing that His peace is in your heart and that she is ready to meet her Savior face to face.
May God strengthen you, gird you with grace, and fill you with His presence during this time.
What a joy that for her "absent from the body" means "at home with the Lord". The beauty, love and care that you all have embraced her with in the past weeks are a precious, everlasting gift - for her, and for you.
May our Lord Jesus comfort you, your Nanny and all your family right now, and may His peace be very real.
Katherine in Atlanta
Anna -
What a privilege to go right to Heaven's gates with a loved one. May your Nanny walk through them peacefully and may you feel the arms of the Father holding you close through these days.
~Adrienne~
I am so sorry for your family. May the Lord rest peace upon your home.
April
Oh Anna, sending prayers for you and your family.
May our Savior comfort you at this difficult time.
What an honor it will be for you guys to usher her into the Kingdom, but at the same time, I know you'll miss her. I pray the Lord will comfort you.
I shed tears for you--and have prayed for your family to be blessed through this significant passing.
God bless you all.
thank you for sharing this sweet time with us, and your incredible perspective that can be so hard to retain at these times.
This is not an ending but a new beginning for your grandmother.
May you be upheld by the strength and love of Christ during this time.
Praying for a peaceful passage,
With blogging love,
Hannah
Lots of (((((((((Hugs))))))))))))) to your family at this time of hardship!!
May the Lord bless you and keep you during these tough times!!
~ Amy ~
Oh, Anna, I amso sorry, but so glad that you and your mother are there with your Nanny.
My Gran died at 93 too, in 2001, and she was ready too. We all stayed nearby, and somebody held her hand at all times during that long day.
Kate
May God bless you all and give you strength.
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