When the Sun Goes Down

We sang this hymn at my grandmother's funeral last week. I like it for many reasons. My comments follow each verse.

"Hymn of Promise"

In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

(Three of my four grandparents have passed away at this time of year- Papa on 2-3-89, Nanny four years ago today on 3-7-07, and Ma Wick on 2-26-11. With each one they were very sick during the winter, but they, like butterflies, were "set free" from their earthly bodies near springtime. The bulbs that bloomed soon after their deaths are a beautiful reminder of new life. I also like this verse because it reminds us that although we worry about and are saddened by our loved ones' suffering, "God alone" knows and will reveal His plan.)

There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;
There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

(After my grandmother's funeral last week, my cousin Jane told me something I'd never thought about. Ma Wick's siblings lived over a span of almost 99 years! Ma Wick's brother Melvin- the oldest sibling- was born in 1912, and Ma Wick- the last of the siblings living- passed away in 2011. It is now the "end of an era", as my cousin David stated, but it is the beginning of a new one, as that generation's great-grandchildren are being born and growing up. Like the song says, "From the past will come the future.")

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

photo credit: Mack Wicker

I recently read on a sympathy card something to the effect that even when the sun goes down, the flowers that it touched continue to bloom. As previously mentioned, Nanny passed away four years ago today. She only met one of her great-grandchildren- Andi, and Ma Wick had the privilege of knowing all three of her great-grandchildren. Their "sun" has set, but their "flowers" are still blooming . . .

Maggie & Zeke playing together on 3-7-11

Another reminder of the "circle of life" is the 180 degree turn I made soon after the funeral. Although you can't switch off mourning, my attention has now been focused on celebrating Maggie's 2nd birthday! It broke my heart when Maggie patted Ma Wick's coffin at the graveside and said, "Bye bye, Ma Wick", but I'm so glad that she will remember her- at least in pictures and in the stories we tell her.