In Memoriam: Granddad Laing

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labours, and their works follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)

Today at around 6:10 a.m. EST (11:10 a.m. BST), Mary's Grandad died. Grandad Laing was one of the nicest guys you could have met and was a loving husband, father and grandfather. In many ways he was the archetypal grandad. He would have been 89 in July.

He had been a teacher specialising in children with speech problems and trained American soldiers in sharp-shooting and night-vision equipment during WWII.

He professed faith shortly after Mary's mother's conversion when she was at college, but really manifested his faith since his own wife's conversion in her 80's. His love for God and sincere faith were evident, and he really hungered for God's Word.

He suffered from cancer toward the end of his life, although mercifully less than would be expected. He glorified God in his sickness and looked forward with joy to heaven.

God's timing was most gracious: he lived significantly longer than the doctors had estimated and only declined a week ago, just after moving into a new house with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter; although he slept most of the time during his last few days on earth and spoke hardly at all, he was able to awake at the arrival of his daughter and greet her by calling her name with joy; he survived in time to see his grand-daughter arrive from Detroit and had the strength to stay awake and interact in his limited way in the conversation on his last night on earth; and he died peacefully in his sleep at the dawn of the Lord's Day.

We give thanks to God for his gift to Mary's family of this honourable and loving gentleman, and for His grace toward him and his family in his death. May God grant Mary's family, and especially his dear wife with whom he was so inseparable, His grace and strength at this time of great sadness, but nevertheless joy that he is with His Father and Lord in glory.

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thess 4:13-18)

Continued...