Gratitude for knowing Norma

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Yesterday, I watched my Aunt, my mother's sister take her last breath...literally.

She died.

In preparing for today's gratitude list, I was in such a funk until I couldn't think, or rather I didn't want to be thankful for anything...I didn't care.

"Life just doesn't seem fair sometimes," I thought while I was sitting in the hospital room.

"Sin is so ugly...so harmful...so hurtful...and I'm wrapped in it..."



"Why didn't Adam just say "no" to Eve?"


"Why couldn't God just go back on His Word...just once...and give us another chance?"


I've known my Aunt all my life.  She's always been ...

She's always been just a phone call away if I couldn't drive to her, but now she's gone.  God choose to take her. " Why?"

"So tell me, please, someone, "What is there to be thankful for?"




Well ...

After pulling myself up...

Dusting myself off ...

Praying ...

I, of course, remembered how I'm loved by God, an underserving love, I might add.  But I began to think about what I have...you know the small things.

What I learned from my Aunt and always saw in her were many profounds things.  Too much to blog about, but a few of the things that stand out is ~

  • How she loved
  • How she lived, and
  • How she forgave
Then it hit me ...

I'm thankful that I had the chance to watch her live out her life -- in watching her, I have a road map to follow.  I saw these things in my mother (still do), but everyone has their own way...their own style in how they walk their unique walk, their course of life.

My Aunt Norma was full of grace, style and class.  She's what you called "A lady."

So my gratitude is for knowing her and for God still giving me the opportunity to gracefully live out my faith the way she did and in doing so...my goal has become to gracefully ...

~ LOVE like Norma loved

~ LIVE like Norma lived

~ FORGIVE like Norma forgave

Most of all, I'm thankful that I got to know my Aunt Norma, to love her and to call her my precious Aunt.

~ I thank God for you Aunt Norma and I will miss you dearly.

~ Thankful that I can make a difference while living on earth

~ Living out my faith...the good and the bad

~ Lessons learned in life

~ "The way a life can be made all praise"...through simply living

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die... Ecc. 3:1-2

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