A Birthday, A Sandwich Shop, and A Life

Today.  So much, today.  Today we celebrate my mom’s birthday.  Read “Dear Mom” to learn more about how amazing my mom is.  She is truly remarkable and today I celebrate her life.

This afternoon, we drove down to Corvallis.  Our dear friends, Aaron and Candi, the main characters from The Road to Santa Clara (right under Featured), have moved back to Oregon!  Jeff and I couldn’t be happier to have them home!  As an adventurous business venture, they have bought Big Town Hero in Corvallis, a sandwich shop in a prime location right off the OSU Campus on Monroe.  A major univerisity hotspot that’s gone to pot because of some absent-owners.  But now, under the stellar management of Aaron and Candi Seifer, this sandwich shop will be the best!  If you live in Corvallis (or even if you don’t!), stop by the store and have a sandwich on their fresh-baked-homemade-from-scratch-every-morning bread.  We devoured the first batch he made!  So, since the store has been somewhat abandoned, there was some major cleaning to be done.  As you may recall, Aaron and Candi are the faithful ones who scrubbed the absolutely nasty kitchen and entire apartment of the ghetto window-less cave we moved into in San Jose.  Ever since that day almost 3 1/2 years ago, I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to get my hands on something dirty to help them clean–not for paybacks, but just to show them a tiny bit of how much it meant to me how they served us. So today, Aaron, Candi, Candi’s parents, Candi’s sister and we donned our grubby clothes, pulled on the gloves and got dirty–literally.  We scrubbed floors, walls, nasty bread pans.  They shampooed carpets, scoured bathrooms, and scraped the cooked on goop on the oven.  We made the new storesigns with the new hours and I even got to put the napkins and sandwich tissue paper in the bottom of the newly washed sandwich baskets.  We all devoured Candi’s homemade chile for lunch then attacked the fresh baked bread with our hands like hungry bears.  It was a sweet time with our friends.

Then, as we drive home, we receive word about Ron.  Ron, son, husband, father, and grandfather.  Ron who came to know Jesus just in the last year, who now loves Jesus with all his heart.  Ron and Holly who come to the Foundations Bible Study class that Jeff teaches. Ron who has had multiple heart surgeries and suffered terribly from a serious heart condition.  Ron who came down with the flu this weekend … Ron who is now home with Jesus.  For about three hours now, he’s been home with Jesus.  Of course my first thoughts and prayers are for Holly, his precious darling bubbly wife, who must be absolutely stricken.  With his kids, with his little toddler grandbabies. 

Just this past Tuesday, in our Bible study, Jeff taught on Heaven.  The timing of it all is just so miraculous to me.  Ron sat there, absolutely engrossed in the study, nodding as he understood and swallowed and digested what Jeff was teaching.  Though I tried not to, I couldn’t help but look at him, watch him, during the study.  Something in me realized that he would be there sooner than the rest of us.  Something told me he was ready. 

One of my thoughts this evening is, I wonder if Ron is thinking, “Wow–Jeff was really wrong about this heaven thing–it’s way better than he even described!”  I have no idea.  But I know he’s there.  I love Ron loved Jesus, and I know he’s with Jesus. 

So much today.  Today.  My mom’s life continues.  Aaron and Candi birth a new beginning in their life — a new baby girl in their arms and new sandwich shop–a crazy adventure for the two of them to embark upon together.  And an end, an end to life here on earth for Ron Hordichok–a dear father, husband, friend.  ANd in that end, a new beginning too–a new life for him with Jesus.

In all this, God is good.  It’s strange how things so good and perfect and so devestating and tragic can be taking place at exactly the same time.  In it all, God is good. 

Father, please surround this hurting family with Your grace and love that works in miraculous ways.  I cannot even begin to fathom the pain.  The shock and sorrow and confusion and pain and even anger.  Please make it ok for them to feel those things. Please be near to them, God.  Somehow, in Your power, please comfort them.  Thank You that Ron is with you.  Thank you, God. Amen.