My stepdad Jim went to be with the Lord today at 12:45pm.    It's been a difficult day but I know the worst is yet to come when I see my mom and step family this week when the funeral comes as I have been in my step sister & brothers shoes.  My mom could really use prayers...this is her second husband that has been taken to be with the Lord...my dad died back in 1993 and she and my stepdad have been married for 12 years (13 this May) and these past few years with him have been hard on her.  He had parkinson's and has been in a nursing home for the past 2 1/2 years but today he had a massive heart attack.   Really he is in a much better place but I know it's still hard to understand why... 

He was a retired Methodist Minister and has been a wonderful stepdad.  I am really lucky that we were finally able to be close and I considered him a father.  The first few years as a stepchild were hard because I was still mourning the loss of my dad and I was in teenage angst.  So this is really hard...it's like I am 15 again and burying my dad all over again and the hurt is buried so shallow underground that it's really been hard for me to keep it together today.  I kept it together up until I post this...but it's good to get it out.

I just keep thinking that he and my father are now up in heaven together with Jesus and that puts a smile on my face because I know my dad is cracking him up with his jokes right now...they were friends before my dad's passing so really it's good to know that they are there together now...free of pain...free of the suffering that they both went through before their deaths.

Oh boy...I need to go...just please keep my mom, Judy, my step brothers, Jamie and Ted and their wives Lori and April...and my step sister Julie and her husband Dennis, and my step brother Richard as well really needs your prayers.  Richard was adopted by Jim; he had 2 fathers before that passed away when he was really little...Jim was his 'real' dad, the one he knew the best and I know this will be especially hard for him because this will be dad #3.  There are 10 grandchildren that are affected as well if you could pray for them. 

Thank you!

Amy Jayne

 

Oh, and also today was my mom and my dad's wedding aniversary...it would have been their 44th year (they spent 31 years together)...so today was a somber day for her anyway without all of this going on.  She told my sister that she woke up early this morning at 2:30am and prayed that she would still be able to care for Jim because she was getting weary.  I am sure this is not the answer that she wanted though...but it seems ever so timely.  Also she's not going to be alone too long because my sister is leaving MD to move back to Iowa and is staying with her momentarily when she comes back in July.  Another timely thing in her life...  God's taking care of my mom...I know he always will!