"he went to sleep at his house and woke up at Home"

This was posted on Instagram by Hope Bible Church

 on the afternoon after Bubba's funeral.

These are the words spoken by Matt Davis, 

one of the pastors at our church, who gave a part of the eulogy.

I cherish this and place it here on my blog so that I can read it again and again.

On this glorious spring day, 

this first day of beautiful light and blooming after many dark, rainy days,

 we celebrated the life of Henry Cleland,

 beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend.

 If you knew him, you knew he was a man who highly valued his family and his faith.

 There is no doubt that he is truly celebrating with our Lord.

 A sudden loss like this is shocking for us,

 but yes, it was a mercy for Henry who went to sleep in his house and woke up at Home. 

We will miss seeing him at Hope every Sunday,

 but for the Cleland family, 

there is an even longer winding road of grief ahead. 

Let these words from Every Moment Holy comfort us when we cannot find the words.

O Father, 

we have suffered a hard loss and one that we cannot suffer alone.

 May we emerge in the months to come ~ even in our frailty ~ 

stronger than before, 

more deeply rooted in You, 

and more wrapped in the necessary arms of community. 

We thank you for the presence of friends who 

would share this burden of grief simply by showing up in the midst of it and grieving with us. 

We thank you for small mercies and kindnesses extended...

for the grace of thoughtfulness translated into the tiny details of life.

For beauty, O Lord,

 let us not lose sight in our grief of all that is yet bursting with beauty in this world.

 Let us not lose sight of the truth that we live in the midst of an unfolding story of redemption,

 and that even this loss of ours will have its counterpoint at the great restoration.

Colonel William Henry Cleland

May 21, 1944 ~ February  29, 2020

I love these words.

Thank you to everyone who has shared the burden of this grief by coming along beside.

There have been so many who have born this hard grief with us.

Thank you!

❤️