Heavenly Sunshine, Coming Right Up!

I am a "control freak". When things don't go as planned, it throws me for a loop. One of the details of Daddy's funeral that just HAD to go as planned was his graveside committal. Mom, Scott and I had asked for a flag to be draped on Daddy's casket, and we had asked that Taps be played at the committal service. We all thought Daddy deserved to be honored with a military burial, and that is such a special touch. Daddy loved music, and I knew Taps would be just beautiful in the silence of the cemetery.

The Friday before the funeral, March 14, 2014, I happened to hear the weather forecast on the news... 100% chance of heavy rain on Sunday, the day of the funeral. I was heartbroken, and my inner control freak began to unleash itself. I immediately prayed and asked God to please hold the rain off, if only just for the graveside. "Please God," I begged, "I don't care if it rains all day and all night, just let the rain stop long enough to hear Taps played for my Daddy in the cemetery." Then I posted on Facebook (because I have learned that there are lots of prayer warriors on Facebook), "The weather forecast is calling for heavy rain on Saturday. I really want to be able to have Dad's committal at graveside, so please pray that the rain will stop or hold off long enough for us to have it." I got 41 "Likes" on that status, and several comments that people would be praying. I was relieved that the prayer warriors were out in force!

Sunday morning, it was raining buckets. It was the most dreary weather, and it didn't help the sadness in my heart at all. I prayed again and reminded God that I just wanted a few rainless minutes that afternoon. Brad could tell I was upset about the weather, so he said if it was raining, we could have the graveside with whoever wanted to go, and Mom, Scott and I would sit under the tent with the rest of the family. Brad would enlist volunteers to hold umbrellas over the pallbearers and we would have the graveside service in the rain. My sweet husband got together all of our golf umbrellas and put them in the trunk of the car, and Leyden and I grabbed our boots in case the cemetery was a soggy mess. 

On our way to the church, the clouds seemed to be scattering. My cousin's wife, Heather, posted on my Facebook wall, "So happy to see the weather changing and the dark clouds rolling away...." I was so excited!! I posted on Facebook, "Thank you, Jesus, for the sunshine!!! (And thank you, friends, for praying with me!)" Tons of people had been praying for sunshine, and I didn't realize just how many until days later. One of my co-workers had his Sunday School class praying, and I'm sure there were others doing that, too.

After lunch, Brad checked the weather on his phone, and he said it looked like the rain was going to hold off until after the funeral. We arrived at the funeral home, and the funeral director told me that we would have to have the committal inside, because a line of thunderstorms was coming down from the north and it looked like it would be here around the time for the graveside. I asked that we still plan to have it outside, and she suggested we go out and see how muddy the cemetery was. There were some mushy spots, but overall, the ground was pretty firm, so I told her that we preferred to have it outside. She said even if it rained, the pallbearers would have to go out to place the casket, and I told her we'd be there, too.

Before the funeral, I overheard the funeral director telling Mom and Scott that they were going to peek outside at the end of the service, and if it wasn't raining, we'd have the committal outside. If it was raining, we would stay inside. I tried to pretend I hadn't heard her, and silently said another prayer for no rain, please!

When the service inside was over, I waited anxiously to see what the funeral director would do. I saw them moving Daddy's casket toward the side door, and when they opened the door, SUNSHINE came flooding in!! We all went outside, and the committal service was a lovely tribute. Taps was just as beautiful as I had imagined. Daddy would have been so pleased!

Brad, Leyden and I were the last to leave the funeral home that day. Just as we were pulling out of the parking lot, rain drops began to fall, and I offered a prayer of thanksgiving to my gracious Lord.

My dear friend, Mrs. Leslie, posted on Facebook that evening about our "heavenly sunshine" experience, and she summed it up perfectly: "This afternoon a dear family said their final goodbyes to their husband, father, brother, loved one. The weather forecast for their area of the country was pouring-down rain and a really messy day. God's people had been praying for the rain to stop, especially before it was time for the graveside service. Almighty God, in His wonderful providence, heard the sincere pleadings of many -- and, just when it was needed - there was SUNSHINE!!! Then, when the service was over, He let the rain return. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!"  

(She included the graphic below, which I think is beautiful.)

I will never forget that "heavenly sunshine" and how beautiful my Daddy's funeral service was. I will never forget how I felt so LOVED that day, so amazed that so many people would pray for sunshine just because I'd asked, and humbled that my God would answer those prayers.

If God will stop the rain so I can hear Taps played for my Daddy in the cemetery, He will do even bigger things for any of His children. Our God is bigger than the weather forecast, bigger than problems in our relationships, bigger than our health issues, bigger than anything we will ever face on this earth. All we have to do is ask Him for His help, lay our problems at His feet, and He will take care of them. He may not always answer our prayers in the way we expect, but He will do what is best for us, if we just TRUST HIM. Hallelujah, our God is sovereign over all!