Thy will be done

As I reach a certain age in my life I come to appreciate certain things. One of the things that comes to mind primarily is the image of my grandfather. Here is a man that lived until he was 86 years old.
He passed away when I was in my late 20s. Many things have been said about him, that he was a good a man, that he was caring, that he was a good husband, a good father, but I think the thing that talks to me the most is the fact that he lived his life with one rule that guided him from The Lords Prayer: “Thy will be done”. It is inscribed in my grandparent’s tomb stone. Many people say the same thing as my grandfather said. But it doesn’t come down to just saying it, you need to live it, feel it, be convinced of it, and that is what stands out the most with my grandfather. When we are in our 30s, 40s, 50s, it seems easy to say “Thy will be done”, but when you are 80 years old, and you have just lost your wife, you are reminded of how precious life is, and the decision of our creator of calling one of us to be with him in eternity, those words become a lot harder to accept. But those were the first words my grandfather uttered when the doctor told him that she had just passed away. And he accepted God’s will, if not with great enthusiasm, at least knowing that God was there, just like he was at the crucifixion, and at the resurrection of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. It is this mystery that is at the core of our belief that God is always present, no matter the circumstances, and that we have the reassurance that we are never alone, that as his children he will never abandon us, no matter what.
During my early years I never came to understand, appreciate, value, and possibly respect my grandfather’s beliefs, as they didn’t seem to mean much to me. With what appeared to be great frustration he would tell me time and time again why not come to church. Maybe it was his disappointment that he could not reach me, no matter how hard he tried.
I would love to be able to tell him today that I have come to understand all those things. I guess it takes maturity, life’s experiences and primarily the love of God at work through us to come to respect and value other people’s lives and beliefs. I also believe that it our generation responsibility to pick up where they left and continue the good works being good ambassadors of our creator, and doing what Christ told us in the Great Commission: “To go out there making disciples of all nations”.