All Saints Day

Today is All Saints Day, November 1st.  It is a day in the church when we celebrate and remember those folks who have finished their earthly journey.  I remember my Grandpa Nicholls who lived to be 98 1/2 years old.  I asked him how he made his mashed potatoes and he answered, "Kerry, I boil the potatoes and then I beat the hell out of them."  I remember saying, "Grandpa!" astounded that he had said the word hell!  

I remember my stepdad Verleon Porter.  He died tragically in a car accident when I was 17.  I remember he would protect me from all of those gentleman callers that I had in high school...  One time a boy called and asked if I was home.  My stepdad answered, "yes" and proceeded to hang up the phone!  

Today I had the privilege of being a part of a Remembrance Service at our local Gilda's Club.  I shared the words from Ecclesiastes 3 that talk about how there is a time to be born and a time to die.  It does not say that there is an appropriate time to die, a fair time to die, a just time to die.  It simply tells us that in our lives we will die.  Will we embrace that fact or be fearful?  

Another aspect of All Saints Day that my mom pointed out to me is that this day gives us an opportunity to celebrate and give thanks for the saints that are in our midst.  The people that we talk to on a daily basis who show God's love to us.  The people who inspire us, who bring us joy, who share with us their strength.  Today is a day to thank those people for being saints to us.