Do Life Big - A story about my Grandma

I am a person who often sees the value of a situation best in hindsight. I don’t know if that is good or bad, and it could just depend on what the situation is, but I love to start at the end of a story and work my way backward to see how the “finish line” was reached. I also love a good story. I love to hear a person share stories from his/her own life. I love the details of a story that make it come to life for the listener. I love to tell stories especially to illustrate a point or a lesson I have learned. 

The past couple weeks have been lived in hindsight. They have been sad and sweet as I have looked back at a lifetime of memories I shared with my Grandma, Margaret (Hart) Keppeler. She went to heaven to be with Jesus on June 2, 2015. It was somewhat unexpected. She was taken to the ER a couple days earlier for some pretty extreme stuff that was happening to her body. By Tuesday night she seemed to be stable and her doctor had decided to send her back to the nursing home where she had been living for nearly 2 years. While my mom was sharing all of this with me over the phone, my dad received the call from the hospital on his cell phone that she was gone. She died peacefully in her bed at the same age that Grandpa was 6 years ago when he passed – 89.

My mind instantly began to recall all of my favorite things about my grandma. I remembered things that I had not thought of in years. I grew up with her. My Dad and Grandpa farmed together ever since my Dad was 4 years old and he drove the tractor for the first time. We spend our summers in the barn playing. We were at their house all the time for holidays, family get togethers, and just to grab a piece of hard candy from the dish during baling season. We sat at the piano with her countless times and sang Sunday school songs and two of her favorites – “This Old House” and “I’ll Fly Away”.

Grandma was feisty. She always spoke her mind, but it was out of love. She always told jokes and silly stories. She always laughed and smiled big. Joy radiated from her. She was a little crazy sometimes too, but was just part of who she was and what made her so special. She sold door to door Avon for nearly 25 years and she told my aunt Christine once that the only reason she did it was so that she could visit with people. I could write for days about all the things she did.

In my hindsight view of Grandma, I realize that I am a lot like her. My boldness to talk to strangers (so they quickly become friends), my lack of housekeeping skills, and my love for a great story come from her. Most recently I have been more focused on looking for joy in every situation (Check out “Fight Back with Joy” by Margaret Feinberg), and that's what my Grandma did. You could not help but smile with her. My love for Jesus and his saving grace have a lot to do with time spent with her.

I was given the opportunity to speak at Grandma’s funeral. My role was to kick off the time of family remembrances. It was a perfect funeral (if I dare say that is such a thing) and she would have loved it. Cousin Frank played old hymns on the piano just like she would have – cords only and loud – and he spoke of how she and her sisters (his mom and aunt) encouraged him to keep banging on the piano keys. We laughed together as we all shared. My husband Tyrone even stood up and shared a story and credited her with being the most joyful person he has ever met. Cousin Shirley spoke of a generation that has now all passed. Grandma’s sister Annabelle was the first of her 8 siblings to die when she was 16 years old. She spoke of their reunion now so many years later.

As God always does, he gave me a song for this occasion. It was perfect and inspired me to speak at the funeral. Some of the lyrics from “Do Life Big” by Jamie Grace are https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XziPUuptdOQ

It’s like a new day. Woke up to hear You say

I came to give you life so spread your wings and fly

Now go and show no fear you are enough to change the atmosphere

So go and do life BIG

I wanna do life BIG

I wanna love, I wanna live every day I live

I wanna do life BIG

I wanna love, serve, and give every chance I get

I wanna do life BIG

That was Grandma. She loved big! She served her family, friends, and community big! She lived with no fear and changed the atmosphere around her because of the big heart and passion for people that God placed in her. That’s how I see my grandma in me. I wanna do life big to honor her memory and carry on her legacy to my family, my community, and to the ends of the earth.

Pastor Fred closed his message about the hope Grandma had through Jesus Christ with a question. If Margaret had one more minute with us what would she say? Then he pulled up the song “Bushel and a Peck” from the 1955 production of “Guys and Dolls”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tfA0LokYuo

This was one of Grandma’s favorite things to say/sing to all whom she loved. We laughed and cried as we listened knowing that is exactly what she would say. “I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck. You bet your pretty neck I do.”

 

I read Psalm 78:5-7 a month earlier (there’s hindsight again), and it fits here with Grandma’s story.

 It says,  

 For he issued his laws to Jacob;
    he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
    to teach them to their children,
⁶ so the next generation might know them—
    even the children not yet born—
    and they in turn will teach their own children.
⁷ So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
    not forgetting his glorious miracles
    and obeying his commands.

I wept and worshipped God as we closed by singing “Amazing Grace”. I raised my hands to heaven in that little country church thankful that God is faithful and he has redeemed me through the blood of Jesus. I am thankful he has done amazing things in and through my family and it’s my turn to teach my children so they will take their place in God’s story to make his name great so every tribe, nation and tongue with know and worship him.