11-14-2024
Another morning is about to dawn. The busyness of the past few days, now, has abruptly ended. Janean and I feel incredibly small. Those who came to honor, celebrate, and say goodbye to Hannah at her funeral, each were a unique and special blessing. There were around 1,150 people who came. We were able to be encouraged by stories of our daughter, stories that we had never heard. Two of these stuck out to us somewhat significantly. One of these was relayed from a student through Dr. Andrew Goodwill. He said that Hannah made a point of always being the first one to get to class, and the reason she gave was so that she would be able to pray for each of her classmates, before they arrived. The second was from a few people that knew her from Café 26 in Milton, the restaurant where she loved to work and serve when she turned sixteen. It was her first job. They said that she would arrive at work early, although she had been up doing her schoolwork for several hours, and sit at a table in the corner and read her Bible until it was time to begin work. This spoke volumes about her to many of those who came into the restaurant. Her work ethic and spirit of service were a testament to her Bible reading and a testament to her God. Truly, if God is in a life, He cannot dwell there without being seen in that life!
The way in which things affect us is somewhat unique. I found myself doing something yesterday that was almost compulsory. After the service had ended, we were interviewed, briefly by a reporter from WISN 12, a local television station here in Milwaukee. There was not really any time to prepare for this, and the angle that they were focusing on was the allergy awareness. Having just come out of the service, however, it was so difficult to focus solely on that. Although that was the catalyst that began this, it was only a very small part of the story. Again, with all that was taking place, it was hard to focus just on the peanut allergy. Their being there was not a surprise, but our hearts were full of so many emotions, and a far larger purpose and meaning to these events. Anyway, after that ended, we spoke with friends and family until the lobby of the church was pretty much emptied out. With a few moments to myself, before going to be with everyone in the reception hall, I wanted to take a picture of the urn, flowers, and pictures, still up front in the auditorium. After I got my picture, I began walking out, but something caught my eye. It was a bulletin, with Hannah’s picture on it lying face up, still left behind in a pew. I paused for a minute, then went and picked it up, but then saw another on the ground. Although I do realize that these are only pieces of paper, I guess I could not bear to see them left behind. So, I began to pick them up, then those in other rows. Janean came in and she did the same thing. Just the two of us, in the empty auditorium, quietly and reverently, picking up each small symbol of our daughter that had been left behind. Now we have them at home, and don’t really know what to do with them yet, but it’s the small, unexpected things that hit us, from out of nowhere. There will be many more of these, I know, but for those who have not been through this, perhaps, it’s a bit hard to understand.
As I woke up this morning, a song was in my mind. It is a hymn by Annie J, Flint, called, “He Giveth more grace”. It states that, “1. He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength when the labors increase; to added afflictions He addeth His mercy, to multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. 2. When we have exhausted our store of endurance, when our strength has failed ere the day is half done, when we reach the end of our hoarded resources, our Father’s full giving is only begun. 3. Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision, our God ever yearns His resources to share; lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing; thy Father both thee and the load will upbear. Chorus: His love has no limits, his grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men, for out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!”
We are blessed
Hannah Helps 