Good Morning all,

Yesterday was a rough day for me. I don't know about you but every July 
first, I mourn the death of my Grandfather. Oh how I miss him.

He was the Earthly Father my real father never was and I find myself missing 
him every July first on his Birthday and every August 20th when he passed 
away in 1970.

I see in my mind's eye him sitting in a Rocking chair on the front porch and 
telling me Bible stories. He'd tell me about Joshua and how God kept the 
daylight till the Israelites won their battle. He told me about Noah and the 
ark, and Daniel in the Lions den. He made the Lions sound so real I could 
reach out and pet them in my mind.

He tolerated my going through the rebellious teenage years and me trying to 
explain to him why there was no God. In my mind i knew better, and I never 
could figure out why I did that.

Through it all, he listened and explained and was patient as only a 
father/grandfather could be in such circumstances.

In 1970, in July, I said goodbye to him for the last time and went to 
Kentucky to get to know my mother.

We were to come back in two weeks to get my stuff but the two weeks turned 
to months and then years.

I told my mother I'd never see him alive again. And sure enough, when the 
call came from Dad on August 20th, the grief I felt then and still feel at 
times is overwhelming.

But through it all, there's a Heavenly Father who helps me through these 
times and I'm able to go on and share the knowledge he shared with me and 
the jokes and country sayings he tought me still live on today.

He'd be 116 years old if he were still alive today.

I've never been to his grave since the day of the funeral. He's just not 
there to me. He wasn't perfect by any means, but my life was truly enriched 
by his humor and wisdom.

It's July second and I praise god for bringing me through another July 
first. He truly knows how hard it is for me to deal with my first true 
understanding of losing someone you love.

Thanks for listening. I just had to share.




--Joshua 1:9  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be
 not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest.

Donna Miller

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