This is a four generation picture: my daughter, me, my mom (beside me), my grandma (front row). This is Grandma Robinette whom I talked about visiting less than a week ago. Just this evening, Mom got a call from the nursing home saying that Grandma had passed away. My Mom said she visited Grandma on Saturday and she was not feeling well. On Sunday, Mom went back and Grandma hardly spoke to her because she felt so bad. We don't know for sure how she died, but the nurse found her in her bed. It is interesting that just last week Grandma, who has been in a nursing home the past 7 years, told Mom, "I wish I would go ahead and die before I get to the point where I am in a lot of pain." Well, Grandma is not in pain anymore. Grandma frequently talked about the Lord and believed she would go to be with him when she left this earth.

As I shared in a previous post, Grandma was my biggest blog fan. I printed my blog each month and mailed it to her. Just this past week, she told me she read every page word-for-word, then some posts she went back and read again. I was really excited to send this month's blog where she was a featured story, but she won't get to read it. I don't think the Bible says a lot about it, but somehow I don't think people in heaven spend a lot of time watching us down here on the earth...they've got better stuff to do there. So I doubt Grandma will be reading my blog from heaven, but at least I can tell her about it one day.

I'm still processing how I feel about Grandma being gone. When we went to see her the day before Thanksgiving, I told Brooke on the way home that I wanted to take Amanda to see Grandma whenever she had a day off from school. Grandma was only 25 minutes or so from the house, but I didn't get out to see her very often. I was wanting to make sure she didn't pass away and I'd be left saying, "I wish we'd gone to visit her more." So I am wishing that I had taken Amanda to see her more often, but I thank the Lord that we went to see her last week. I had planned on going to see her around Christmas time and I'm not sure what made me decide to go last week. I make a real effort not to over spiritualize things, but I really believe the Lord prompted me to go.

I guess I'm still learning the lesson that I will always be busy, but I've got to make an EFFORT to enjoy, appreciate and work at the relationships the Lord has given me here on this earth. I'm thankful that the Lord prompted us to go visit Grandma last week, and I'm trying to learn the lessons He's wanting to teach me about relationships so that I don't have more regrets.

Grandma, I'll miss you and I love you,
Rob