To Be...At Peace

March 24
Tonight is more than likely the last snow of the season.  I'm sitting here at 11:30 PM watching it wanting to hold onto it. Ever so peaceful. Ever so quiet. A blanket of snow falling from the sky.  Tonight I receive a call that the father of my best friend from college had died. I loved him deeply.  We knew it was coming. He had a stroke exactly five months ago and had never recovered his mobility.  Even so, you want to hold onto those you love.

I'm siting before the window, watching the flakes fall and reflecting back on an amazing life, trying to absorb that like I'll never see these exacts snowflakes on earth again, I will never make earthly memories with Papo again. Death does cause us to ponder.

He was a man of great wealth and amazing accomplishments, who welcomed others in as his equal.  The first time I met this man from Puerto Rico he was flying his private plane into a small airport in Orlando, to take my girlfriend and me out to breakfast. It was the first bagel this southern girl had ever eaten. My first yachting experience was on his boat and we went to Captiva Island. A bit fancier than Smith Mt Lake at the time.  Not so many years after that we laughed and danced at my girlfriend's wedding. While at The Kentucky Derby, watching one of their horses race, they bought a beautiful silk scarf and sent it to me. 

About ten years ago he called and said he was thinking about getting back into the dairy farm business as a retirement project.  Dairy science had been his major at Cornell University. He came up to Moneta and we took him to tour a local dairy. 

In 2016, we sat in his family room, holding his hand and praying with him as he grieved the death of his youngest daughter. This past January, we are so thankful we took the time to go to his home in Sarasota for a visit. It was such a sweet time. He hadn't been talking a lot the weeks prior to our visit, but that day he certainly did. The first half of the visit he spoke Spanish, but later switched to English!  As I walked out of the house that afternoon I began to sob and told my husband, I think that is the last time we will see Papo. It was. Tonight he is with Jesus and will have the most incredible Easter celebration any of us could ever imagine.

When I awakened at 5:30AM this morning, I began to pray for him and his family. Immediately, God gave me the word peace.  I texted my girlfriend thinking maybe he had already gone.  He has total peace now.

Two days ago, I was led to read ahead in Jesus Calling to March 24th and I sent my friend and her mother what I had read.  It was a message on letting go.  They did that today.  I may have already shared this, but want to post it again.

"THIS IS A TIME in your life when you must learn to let go: of loved ones, of possessions, of control. In order to let go of something that is precious to you, you need to rest in My Presence, where you are complete. Take time to bask in the Light of My Love. As you relax more and more, your grasping hand gradually opens up, releasing your prized possession into My care.

You can feel secure, even in the midst of cataclysmic changes, through awareness of My continual Presence. The One who never leaves you is the same One who never changes: I am the same yesterday, today, and forever. As you release more and more things into My care, remember that I never let go of your hand. Herein lies your security, which no one and no circumstance can take from you."

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. 
—Psalm 89:15

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 
—Hebrews 13:8

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” 
—Isaiah 41:13

To know Jesus is to know how To Be...at Peace no matter what they day holds.