Grandpa’s Heavenly Joy

Sarah hired me to help her with a Christmas gift for her parents, brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. Her grandpa passed away the previous December. The gift would be a remembrance of him. She wanted to showcase his apple orchard, his work ethic, his love for neighbors and family. She provided me with some stories as well as pictures of items that were important to her grandpa and the family. I created a written piece. I also created a download that Sarah printed, framed and gave to her family as a gift to remember the man they all admired and loved.

Grandpa’s Heavenly Joy

He’s there. Quizzing the angels on apple types. The same way he had with the grandkids. Yankee Sweet, Lodi, Virginia Beauty, Maiden’s Blush, Pickled Simon Sweet, all the best heritage varieties. There’s no place more perfect for tree grafting and experimenting than Heaven’s apple orchard.

Heaven is bound to be full of hunters. He’s among them. Telling tall tales and regaling his fellow cherubs with the stories we all remember. His adventures hunting in Giles County with his Winchester 270 hunting rifle. He may even be in charge of target practice.

If Heaven has rocks in fields, he’s picking them up. Making the work easier for the haloed plow hands. He’s sitting in the back of a heavenly pickup truck. Entertaining the ones that are too little to help. Teaching them about hog meat and internal organs.

He’s one of the Lord’s cattle hands. Watching over Heaven’s herd like he did his own on earth. He’s sharing the bounty of his heavenly garden. Showing his love of his neighbors in the fruit, vegetables and friendship that he gives.

That’s the thing about Grandpa. He can rejoice in Heaven as he lived on earth. A faithful servant to God, his family, his farm.  If he could, he would look down at the family he created and be proud, be content. See his work, his lessons, his love is in us.

We miss him. We remember him. We love him.

May Grandpa be having a joyful time in Heaven.