Stella Moments

Tonight I'm sitting at Altus House...a hospice house where my sweet Mama is spending her last days on this side of heaven. As a family, we've had so many wonderful moments together with her...moments I don't think I'll ever forget....nor would I want to, even as difficult as all this is to go through.

Moment #1:

Stella Bear

My sweet Blair cannot be here in person to tell her "Memama" goodbye because she along with her hubbie James live very far away in the Middle East as workers for the Lord...as she said, "this is the first person that I'm losing that I've had a close relationship with and I don't know how to deal with it." As Blair's Mama, my heart is heavy and want to do all I can to come alongside her to help her in the grieving process. So He has faithfully provided me a tangible way to do that...

On the way back to Charlotte a few days ago (when we had been in Atlanta seeing family and then all of the events regarding Mama started), we stopped at a Cracker Barrel. While there, I saw some precious little brown teddy bears that had been put out for Valentines Day. I'm a real sucker for cute stuffed animals, but didn't really have a reason to purchase one. So I resisted the urge to get one.

My best friend Tori and I were heading back to Atlanta this past Sunday since my Neal was unable to leave quite yet in order to be here with me. I was sharing with her about my Blair and how my heart longed to do something to help her as she grieved. Somewhere about Greenville, the idea hit me and I know it was from the Lord........stop at Cracker Barrel and get her one of those bears! As I sat in the car for the next few miles, the idea grew.

This would be no ordinary bear....I was to name her "Stella Bear" and once in Atlanta, take her to be with Memama so that when the time came to give her to Blair I could tell her that she had been with her Memama in her last days. Maybe it's just a girl thing or silly to some, but I am hoping that Stella Bear will bring my Blair a small bit of encouragement that her Mama was thinking of her constantly as I walked with my Mama, her Memama, through her last days.

And, that's not all. MY grandchildren will KNOW of their godly legacy in their great-grandmother, Memama, because Stella Bear will also be at my house waiting to tell them all the wonderful stories of how Memama loved and served her Jesus all the days of her life.