"Safely Thro Another Week"

I can almost hear his voice.  His name was Lloyd Minnich and he led the singing at Glendale Community Church when I was a little girl.


"Safely thro' another week, God has bro’t us on our way;
Let us now a blessing seek, Waiting in His courts today:
Day of all the week the best, Soon will come eternal rest;
Day of all the week the best, Soon will come eternal rest."  (John Newton Safely Thro' Another Week; verse one)


This is the day my mother was due to arrive at JIA for a month long visit.  I had it all planned - today I was going to catch my breath from the hectic weeks that have preceded this weekend which included the Caregiver Expo at UNF - the whole reason I've had a part time/temporary job at Community Hospice - and get ready for her arrival.


You know however, that last Monday that all changed when our precious little Blakelie Foster Beck,  daughter of my niece, Leslie, died.


That last sentence will stick in my throat for a long time.


However. . .

The outpouring support that our family received has been incredible.  Words of comfort and sympathy; encouragement and understanding and acts of  love have blessed us beyond words.


This was a very busy week for me - all the final preparations for the Caregiver Expo.  My friends stepped in to help - grocery shopping for me personally as my mother was coming home four days ahead of schedule; picking up door prizes for the event; helping with a last minute project at Community Hospice. Not to mention - the Communications and Marketing staff at Hospice and the Bereavement Support team were wonderful.


My heart was heavy as we made our way to a visitation in Orlando.  Some of that was lifted for a while as I saw so many friends and family members.  I knew I couldn't go to Augusta for the interment.  I didn't think my mother could either.
However, my daughter, Becca had another thought.  She would take her grandma.


I cannot begin to tell you how much easier that made it for me to be at the Caregiver Expo yesterday. All day long as I was so involved - every now and then there would be a swell of sorrow that would sweep over me.  And I would just walk away from the crowd and take a moment to be sad and then be glad - for the blessings that have been poured out on us this past week.


When I remembered that song from my childhood, I googled it and found all four verses.  The last verse says:


"May Thy gospel’s joyful sound Conquer sinners, comfort saints;
May the fruits of grace abound, Bring relief to all complaints;"


That is what is happening.  We are being comforted.  God's grace is abounding.


Does it still hurt?  Rich Suhey has been gone for 16 years; my daddy has been gone for  more than four -- they still hurt.


So, yes.


And yet there is a peace that passes all understanding, something my parents taught us - at the same time that they were taking us to church every Sunday - that same church where we sang

"Safely thro' another week, God has bro’t us on our way...".

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