This weekend was long and I was exhausted, but it was so fun because one of my closest friends came to town with her son (who’s like my own) to hang with me and the kids. We were VERY busy – from bouncy house birthday parties to zoo outings we were on the go. Regardless, two of the three did not nap yesterday so I was wiped out by dinner. Blessedly, I had a peaceful close to the nuttiness of the weekend.
The little lady was inconsolable by 6:30 last night so I asked her if she wanted to rock. My mom was visiting so she hung out with the boys while I took little bit and wrapped her up in my arms in the nursery and rocked. I always sing little songs to them, but all of these old hymns started coming out of my mouth. Trust and Obey, I Surrender All, In the Garden, What a Friend We Have In Jesus, all came out as clear as a bell, one right after another. I could hear my grandmother, my mom’s mom, singing those exact same songs. I could see her sitting in her living room at her piano playing and singing in this absolutely perfect voice. My Mimi. She was always my port in the storm. The stillness in gale force winds. Right up until she died in 2004 – literally, she was smoothing my hair out of my eyes the week before she died even though she didn’t know my name. Right about this time of year, eight years ago, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
But I know that she’s in Heaven. And I know that she sees my beautiful children. And I felt her singing those words right through me last night. After I sang them to little bit, who was asleep by 6:45 p.m. (a miracle beyond words), I sang the same songs to the eldest who had also missed his nap and he was down by 7:15. I rocked and sang to the baby last, and he was asleep before 8 p.m. As you may have read, that’s the earliest nighttime we’ve seen since the crib conversion. A gift from my sweet Heavenly Mimi for the night. And her songs, her rest, gave me peace and rest.
If you’re not familar with the songs, I share a few of my favorite lyrics with you tonight, in hopes it will bring you a similar measure of peace:
From In the Garden: And He walks with me and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.
From Trust and Obey: Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
From What A Friend We Have In Jesus: What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer!
Gindi, thank you for the beautiful reminder of your Mimi / my Aunt Mary. She was the most wonderful Aunt in the world, and I can only imagine what an amazing Grandmother she was. The tears are flowing in remembrance of her beautiful voice — singing those beautiful songs — a voice she shared with my Dad on many occasions. I miss her terribly, yet I see her light in my Mother’s eyes, and I’m so grateful to Jesus for that. Love you! HUGS!!