"Precious in the Sight of the Lord"-Loving Tribute to Elizabeth Auer

I hope to post more soon about our trip to South Caicos, but somehow the simple funeral we attended Thursday just after arriving home was very touching and inspiring. When I knew we were going to be gone to Caicos 10 days, I asked the Lord that please if any of our elderly friends went to heaven while we were gone to South Caicos, could God make it that we could be home in time to attend their funeral?
God answered that prayer! The funeral of Elizabeth Auer was at 10:00 a.m. after we had arrived home just after midnight that morning!

  I have known Grandma Auer (pronounced "Our") for about five years, ever since I met her daughter Audrey, another homeschooling mother who is my dear friend.

Audrey's family had been caring for her mother for several years, first in a little home next to theirs, and then they had moved into a larger home where there could be a bedroom on one level for Audrey's mother Elizabeth.

Every time I went to their home, I would make sure to take a little time with Audrey's mother Elizabeth, who always greeted me with a big smile, a tight hug, and a kiss on my cheek.
She accepted me as if I were a sister in their church, and I have fond memories of her love, acceptance and happiness to see me and my family.

Only a few weeks ago, three home school families had a presentation night at Audrey's home, and Audrey's mother played a hymn on her mouth organ for us. She had never done such a thing before, but had wanted to share this hymn, and I got a picture of her playing, oxygen and all!

 That will remain a very special memory, and I  know it must have been very special to Elizabeth to see her grandchildren performing so well on musical instruments...

and with memorized parts to skits. It was a very happy evening for all of us!

Another special thing I remember is when Audrey's family moved to where they are now, the address was "Elizabeth Way"! It was very special to Audrey's mother Elizabeth to have her final home be on a road with her very own name! It seemed like it was a special gift from the Lord!

I really enjoyed the words to this song which was sung at the funeral service.

"Precious in God's sight is a Christian's death."

The speaker from Audrey's sister's church in California, who has known Elizabeth Auer for a long time, shared about what makes a Christian's death precious in God's sight. 

There is no longer separation of the soul from Him--and that soul is precious in His sight.

I couldn't help tears at that thought. Somehow the value of a soul is very, very precious.

"Death the way supplies unto Paradise."

The speaker shared about how Elizabeth had been born in Hungary, but escaped the religious persecution there by coming to the USA, living at first in Ohio with an Apostolic Christian Church group there. Then she moved to a sister church in California, and ended up at this local Colorado Springs Apostolic Christian church.

Above you can see the folk gathered at the grave site. Below is the casket with the beautiful bouquet.

My friend Audrey's family is standing to the right in the background.

At the burial service, I was touched by the closing prayer of the brother who was the speaker.

He prayed that God would give the family and relatives grace to

1) Walk away and

2) To walk on.

We say goodbye today, but we walk on in faith and courage.

Then the funeral director announced the lowering of the casket, saying that anyone who wished to leave at that point could. But almost everyone stayed. They were so brave!

Then a very special and unique thing happened.

As the funeral director set the flower stand at the head of the casket, one of the ladies moved up to him and asked to pluck a flower. I assumed it was perhaps to dry and remember Elizabeth by. 

But then the lady moved over to the vault and gently tossed the flower in on top of the casket.

Then another person moved up and pulled a flower out of the bouquet. One after another, people came and took a flower to gently toss onto the casket. Some took a lily, some a crysanthemum, some a rose. Here Audrey and her girls and sons are taking a flower apiece. Audrey helped her little daughters lovingly toss their flowers on their grandmother's casket. I thought it  was such a lovely gesture.

 And then Audrey took her flower. I watched her stand by the vault, in all her sorrow and loss, 

and breathe something as she stooped and very gently and very lovingly tossed her flower upon her mother's casket. 

It was very, very special.

I pray God's angel will comfort my dear friend. 

Her mother is finally Home.

"At Home 'Tis Good," says this song the church group sang.

Audrey's mother had defied many odds and lived about 27 years past the first time she was diagnosed with heart issues and wasn't expected to live long. Then she was diagnosed again and wasn't expected to live. Then she had accidental carbon monoxide poisoning a few years ago, and wasn't expected to live. But she lived three years more after that!

 

 She was remembered for loving to give her grandchildren and children at the church candy. 

After the funeral, there was a bag of lollipops for all the children which they were welcomed to lick while waiting for the hearse!

The little sign by this bowl at the funeral meal requests all to "Take One. These are the ones she bought for the children. They were in her church purse and drawer."

It was such a beautiful day for a burial. We could  stand without even a sweater!

The funeral meal was at the church, and the meal was delicious and the fruit arrangements were beautiful. I waited my turn in line and was able to talk with the speaker from California who was as much interested in our family as I was in how he know Elizabeth.

Delicious pastries made by church folk and relatives and friends.

To close this post, I was very touched by the words of this song, "Be Thou Faithful Unto Death."

One of the things that touched me most of the speaker's points about Elizabeth was how she had maintained a meek, loving, and peaceful spirit throughout all the problems of her life, until the end

Though he said he did not know all about her personal struggles, he said she most likely went through things that were not right and that were unfair. 

She endured all manner of things that she could have chosen to become bitter about. 

But she came through them without bitterness.

I sat there wiping tears.
I remembered her sweet, happy, peaceful attitude. And I thought about my own struggles with things that have not been right or fair. Elizabeth's example is a great incentive to me to make sure that I do not permit bitterness in my heart.

She had been faithful unto death!
May we be inspired by her example.