Marked for Eternity

Marked.  This word has been on my mind the last few days.   It was just last Saturday when life was fairly normal and the family was marking everything down in the garage sale we were having.  But May 6, as we would soon learned wasn’t just a day for marking garage sale items, it was the day that will forever be marked as grandpa’s homecoming.  The day that grandpa got to stand before Jesus and see him face to face like he told us just days before that he was ready to do. 

I want to just highlight some of the things that Grandpa’s life was marked by and how he will be remembered by me. 

He was marked with Adventure-  It was normal for grandpa even at the age of 95 to climb the Michigan dunes and come to the beach.  Of course he would follow it up by going to the water and wading a bit before just diving into the freezing cold water and end up floating on his back with his toes up. 

Grandpa’s life was marked by selflessness-  Grandpa was always more concerned about others and taking care of others.  This could be seen in how he took care of my grandma who had arthritis.  For 52 years he stood by her side and loved her deeply.  Never once did grandpa ever complain. 

Also, Grandpa’s life was centered on family.  Grandpa was the one person I looked up to the most in life.  We had a special bond.  Maybe because I was the only grandkid here in town, but it went beyond that.  Grandpa invested into my life in times when I needed it most.  God knew that I would need an example of what a Godly man looked like.  He has and will always be the example of what I want in my life.  I thank God for giving me that example.  

When I was paralyzed and in the hospital, grandma and grandpa made many trips up to Chicago to see me.  When I returned home and had to go to out patient therapy, it was my grandpa who would willingly drive across town everyday to pick me up and take me  when mom had to go back to work.  But grandpa wasn’t just a carpool service.  He took that time to invest in me.  Every time after therapy he would take me out to lunch, He would hold doors open, he’d asked me about my life, and he’d speak truth into my heart.  Grandpa did not just love with words, but with his actions.  In fact, grandpa would always drop whatever he was doing or the plans he had to spend time with you. 

But, If there is one thing that Grandpa would want to be remembered for and shared with others, it would be that he was marked in Christ.  He lived his life to honor God.  You see, two days before he died, we got the opportunity to sit down next to him and hear him tell us about how he was ready for heaven and ready to see Jesus.  Grandpa was marked with the gift of salvation.  The Bible says, in Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  I know for a fact, that grandpa had accepted Christ, and therefore he was marked.  His greatest desire in life was to show others Gods consuming love so they may choose to believe and accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. 

My thoughts this week have centered around this verse found in Ephesians 1:13-14.  The verse reads “You were also included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel and salvation.  When you believed it, you were MARKED in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession- to the praise of His glory.”

Just three hours before grandpa passed away, the emergency room doctor asked him if he wanted to sign his own name to admit himself into a hospital room or if he’d rather have his daughters do it.  I sat there and watched grandpa sign his own name.  Three hours later, I pictured grandpa signing his name the same way….but this time into the book of Life looking into the eyes of Jesus telling him “Well Done, Good and faithful servant.”

Grandpa, I love you, miss you, and hold desperately to the promise that I too will be with you once again in heaven.  Thank you for loving me so well.  You will be missed but we were so blessed by your everyday on Earth.