One Year Since Mama Lucas Went to Be With the Lord

 Today Jonathan and I met his father at Fairview Cemetery to place a wreath at Mama Lucas's grave. It was one year to the day that Mama went to heaven.

When I first arrived, Jonathan's dad was placing the wreath, hammer, and other things near the stone.

I loved how the camera captured rays of light coming down, as if it was rays from heaven upon the quiet scene where a few of the family were coming to remember a loved one and honor her memory with flowers and a wreath.

Carrie had brought a bouquet she had put together earlier that morning, and placed it by the headstone--right by Mama's middle name, Mae, which is also my own mother's middle name, and the name we chose for Carrie's middle name.  

Daddy Lucas had chosen this autumn wreath to bring, with the lavendar bow he'd saved from the bouquet of flowers at the funeral a year ago. He was worried about the colors going together, but they went just fine, especially since Carrie's bouquet was brown, yellow, and lavendar as well!

Jonathan pounded in a rebar stake so that we could wire the wreath to it to keep it intact in the certain Colorado winds that blow--even across graveyards! 

  

And Daddy Lucas took a picture of us--just before Jonathan had to leave to join the children down south of Alamosa to hunt elk once again, and I headed back home to check on Carrie's dog who has been due to have puppies any day.

The cemetery was beautiful with fall colors. I drove around just a little afterward, thinking about others buried there--Mary Jane McVey, Linda DeGarmo, Mrs. Karr, Dale O'Maley, and so many others--all very human people with their faults and failings, but who died in faith.

People like George and Goldie, Mama's brother and sister-in-law. George had a lisp that was a little hard to understand due to a tied tongue in his childhood and youth, and which made him the butt of much laughter.

But everyone knew he loved the Lord, and he is now in heaven with the Goldie he loved, and with Mama, his sister. 

I drew one of the flowers out from the bouquet I'd brought to send home with Daddy Lucas--and placed it on their stone.

Somehow it just seemed like a thing that ought to be done--because every life has value. 

Last night for family worship I asked Rose to read from Revelation 21, the verses about heaven, and what Mama Lucas is enjoying right now.  

Even the dog seemed to be in perfect bliss listening to what the Bible says about heaven. 

And we sang one of Mama's favorite songs, "In the Garden." Daddy Lucas has told us that Mama would sometimes sit down at the piano and play that song.  

At the graveside, Jonathan's dad asked if we could pray together, and we did, Jonathan's one arm around his father and his other around me, and mine around him. 

All three of us prayed--Daddy Lucas thanking God for giving him Helen for so many years and for the five children she gave him. He prayed for them, and prayed for God's help and grace for his future. Jonathan thanked God for the godly heritage, for his mother's faith, and prayed that it might be passed on to us in the next generation. I prayed as well, and it was a precious time out under the autumn sky and sun in Colorado. 

"Perhaps I will make this a tradition," Daddy Lucas mused, "bringing a wreath for each season."

I thought that was a great idea--a wreath of flowers, or acorns, or evergreens--all entwined by prayer.