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Carol’s Words As
Christmas gets closer, being without Grace seems an impossible reality. Each of
us in the family will have to face it and I know we will all try to celebrate,
but we will all remember that Christmas was the most important time of the year
for Grace. She was absolutely bursting with joy and fun, still writing to Father
Christmas while, at the same time, being more than usually aware of the meaning
of Christmas. Everyone will miss her decorating our church and reading at the
Lower Swell Carol Service. Meanwhile, we are comforted to know that Teddies cares so
much. Today we are planting a tree in Grace’s memory and we are thankful. We
have chosen a cherry tree called Sunburst. An apt name for Grace. Every year
since leaving Bangalore, Grace has had a cherry stone spitting competition on
her birthday, so planting a cherry tree, which blossoms in April and then has
luscious big cherries around her birthday in the summer, seems a perfect way to
remember her. The Ship
Read by William A ship sails and I
stand watching till she fades on the horizon and someone at my
side says She is gone. Gone where? Gone from my sight,
that is all. She is just as large now as when I last saw her. Her diminished size
and total loss from my sight is in me, not in her. And just at that
moment, when someone at my side says she is gone, there are others who are
watching her coming over their horizon and other voices take up a glad shout -
Here she comes! That is what dying
is. An horizon and just the limit of our sight. Lift us up O Lord, that we may see further. Time Read by Jasper Time is too slow for
those who wait Too swift for those
who fear Too long for those
who grieve Too short for those
who rejoice But, for those who
love – Time is eternity. She is not Gone Read by Robert She is not gone,
who leaves us this
great heritage of remembering joy. She still lives in
our hearts, in the happiness we
knew, in the dreams we shared. She still breathes,
in the lingering
fragrance, windblown, from her favourite flowers. She still smiles in
the moonlight's silver, and laughs in the
sunlight's sparkling gold. She still speaks in
the echoes of words we've heard her say again and again. She still moves in
the rhythm of waving grasses, in the dance of the
tossing branches. She is not gone;
her memory is warm in
our hearts, comfort in our sorrow. She is not apart from
us, but part of us, For love is eternal,
and those we love shall be with us throughout all eternity. Romans
Chapter 8 Read by
Ruairi Binning, a Head Sacristan and friend of Grace. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for
us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for
all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any
charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is
Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will
hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword? This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God Rev Kerr: Lord God, we have come here today to remember our beloved
Grace, to thank you for the many beautiful ways in which she touched our lives,
to entrust her into your loving arms. In our reading, Lord, you remind us that
nothing can separate us from your love (through Jesus Christ our Lord); help us
to trust in your promise that Grace is with you, and help each of of us today –
who feels the pain of Grace’s absence – also to know the deep peace and hope and
comfort that you can give. We pray particularly for the Hadman family as we
approach Christmas; may their sadness of shared Christmases lost in the future
be lightened by the joy of shared Christmases past. Give them strength in
difficult days ahead. We will now observe two minutes silence in which we
remember and honour Grace – a favourite memory, a characteristic, a moment. The
family have requested that you might share these thoughts with them by recording
them in the book of memories after the dedication in the dining hall. Grace: |
