4-2-14 Grandpa & Grandma Rinkenberger

November 21, 1943

1993

2011

 

Waayy back here, I  wrote this:

Sunday morning we got the phone call from Grandpa Steiner that my Grandpa Rinkenberger had passed away during the night. While we’re sad that he’s gone from our earthly lives now, we rejoice with him in his eternal victory and look forward to meeting him again somewhere in heaven. Our hearts hurt too for the loss for Grandma. I know she’ll miss Grandpa a lot.

Later on, we learned that Grandma had been sick with the flu, as well as in pain from a bad back, and was taken to the hospital Sunday at some point. Funeral arrangements for Grandpa were on hold all week until Grandma could improve enough to be there, but by Thursday afternoon, the decision had been made to hold the visitation and funeral without Grandma. I can’t imagine the struggle for my mom and her siblings to have to make that choice, all the while watching Grandma suffer with so much pain from a myriad of issues. I can’t imagine how long their week seemed, because, busy as I was with my household of eleven, it was a long week here. Waiting slows time down somehow.

Our time at Grandpa’s visitation on Saturday was very good. We reunited with kin and brethren from all over, reminiscing and remembering Grandpa, rejoicing in his eternal victory won while at the same time grieving our earthly loss. All this with hearts made heavier because Grandma was unable to be there.

Our time at Grandpa’s funeral on Sunday was very good. God’s Word, the singing, the message, the prayers, the tears, the memories, the love, the fellowship, the family. All of it.  God was there. His Holy Spirit was present. He was near, His comfort was felt, His grace was sufficient as it always is.  My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

We went home Sunday night and slept well. Not sure why but we were all exhausted.

Monday morning we had a light school day and tackled the huge laundry piles and other tasks that were neglected over the weekend. I made plans to visit Grandma in the hospital on Tuesday (yesterday), and was able to arrange to take Grandma Steiner with me.

Remember my last post, the pictures from Monday evening at the South Grove? Maybe you didn’t notice, but Sarah wasn’t active like the rest of the kids were. She wasn’t feeling well. She emptied her stomach when we got back home, then went straight to bed.

Monday night was a l-o-o-o-n-g night. I won’t go into detail, but before the night ended, both Jewel and Josh had joined the bucket brigade, and I had to ransack the basement because all the upstairs blankets were soiled. In the process of trying to efficiently do laundry at 2:30 AM, because I still had this faint hope of going to see Grandma the next day, I left the water running in the laundry room sink and stumbled back to bed.

Hearing the waterfall in the basement kitchen at 4:00, Jacob did his noble duty and shut off the water and . . .

. . . told us about the flood. No, he didn’t offer to clean it up. But I really think if he had realized that we’d been up for four hours and had finally gotten to sleep, he would’ve been really noble and cleaned it up, but he wasn’t very much awake himself. I’m just glad he woke up in the first place enough to realize that water falling wasn’t a good sound at that time of the night.

So yesterday morning dawned bright and sunny, and my throbbing head reminded me of my short (I mean long) night.

What a dilemma.

I was planning to take Grandma Steiner to visit Grandma Rink. And all three littles took turns puking all night. I was rather tired. With a long drive ahead of me. What to do? To go or not to go? I knew I couldn’t go today (Wednesday), and I had told Mom I’d take her yesterday, but how could I leave three sick kids? I’ve always adhered pretty rigidly to “sick babies need their mom,” but my babies really weren’t babies anymore, and at that point we didn’t know how long Grandma was going to live. She wasn’t doing well at all.

I waited until about 10:30 to decide, and at that point, although the three were all laying around with pillows, blankets, and buckets, there hadn’t been any more puking; they were keeping broth and crackers down. I don’t think there’s anything else that would have taken me away from sick children for six hours, but since my wonderful older kids were willing to tackle the challenge and were okay with me going, I went.

I’m so glad I did.

I got to talk to Grandma, and tell her I love her, and tell her Jesus is waiting, and she’ll see Grandpa soon, and I’m so glad she was my Grandma, and I don’t know what else I said. It doesn’t really matter. I don’t know if she heard me; she didn’t respond except to open her eyes briefly. The nurses there said she could hear though, so maybe she did. I don’t know; it really doesn’t matter. I was glad to see her and glad I could take Grandma Steiner to see her too. It was evident that Grandma would never “miss Grandpa a lot” like I thought she would. She was going to see him soon, hopefully very soon.

I kept in touch with the kids back home during the afternoon, knowing that I could leave anytime to return home, but they had a quiet uneventful day. All things considered, things went very well. Chores didn’t get done, school didn’t get done, music didn’t get done, the house was kind of trashed, but that’s ok. That’s just fine. I got to tell Grandma goodbye, and the kids were fine. I got home around 5:00 as planned, and we had a quiet evening. Only one bucket incident. Needless to say, we shut down pretty early. Most of us were pretty wiped out.

Last night around 9:00--- a comment emailed from U. Kenny:

I think the end is very near. In fact, pray that God will take Mom soon to relieve her from her pain and reunite her with the loves of her life - her Saviour, Grandpa, Uncle Steve, Gpa and Gma Bauer, her brothers.

This morning around 6:30--- a text:

Her race has been won. From uncle Bob at 11:46...she passed away about 11:20.

I marvel.

Two and a half hours after U. Kenny’s request for prayer – answered.

God is so good.  For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 117:2

So we anticipate another visitation and funeral. Again with joy for victory mingled with sorrow for earthly loss. And I’m still sifting through it all, these last ten days, these emotions that get all mixed up in each other. Two dear grandparents gone in ten short days. Two funerals in one long week. How can it be?

Oh but I feel mostly joy though, because oh what a reunion that had to be! And - - - -

What A Day That Will Be

Jim Hill

There is coming a day when no heartache will come,

No more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye.

All is peace forevermore, on that happy golden shore,

What a day, glorious day, that will be!

What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see,

When I look upon His face, the One Who saved me by His grace.

When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the promised land,

What a day, glorious day, that will be!

There’ll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear,

No more sickness, no pain, no more parting over there.

And forever I will be with the One who died for me,

What a day, glorious day, that will be.

What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see,

When I look upon His face, the One Who saved me by His grace.

When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the promised land,

What a day, glorious day, that will be!

 

One more song. Grandpa’s favorite - - -

In The Sweet By and By

Sanford F. Bennet

There’s a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.

In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blessed;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.

In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise
For the glorious gift of His love
And the blessings that hallow our days.

In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.

Good night.

 

 

 

PS…..as three kids get better, another one goes down…as I am writing, Kate hit the bucket a few times…