Pastor Bruce’s blog

I had a great experience yesterday, one you wouldn’t necessarily think was great, but it was.  My grandmother and grandfather Plummer were the center of our rather large extended family during my growing up years.  Our home town was just outside of Albany, a suburb called Delmar.  My grandfather, Papa, my Dad and my Uncle Dave started and maintained a garden store and nursery business there.  It was the family business.  So we were all very close.  Papa died when I was attending college in the mid ’70’s and many things changed, but Nana, my grandmother, remained the queen bee of our family.  Until early Sunday morning when she died at the age of 101.  Now, I don’t get back to Delmar very often anymore, it’s just so busy here with family and church, but Nana had wanted me to do her funeral when that time came.  So with our family we went to Albany on Monday to plan for Nana’s funeral on Tuesday.  Bottom line was, it was a great experience. Nearly all our family was there; that was great in itself.  But the best thing was preaching to our whole family at the funeral home and the graveside.  It was so good to talk about Nana’s life, what she was like, to laugh at some of the many stories she created just by living.  But then, at the end of it all, I was able to share with my family the love and sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.  I was so thankful to have their full attention and for them to hear what I had to say.  My aunt surprised me though, in a good way.  She said that she hears the message every week as she attends Saddleback Church in California with her son and daughter in law!  And she was so positive in her response to the Gospel!  It couldn’t have been better.  Afterward we went to a cousin’s home to be together and visit.  I spent time with and introduced my kids to so many relatives they didn’t know they had.  And as we drove home it was hard for me not to be happy-teary at how the Lord blessed the day.  And blessed me with a family experience I couldn’t have even asked for, because it was too good to have imagined.  Thank you Lord Jesus, it made me so grateful to you for what You did there.  And with what you yet have in mind. 

Blessings, PB

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