Guest Blog Post by Karl Ostrand
Read by Karl's close friend Kevin Atkinson at Joan Ostrand's Funeral (March 1st, 2014)...
As I approached the South African customs agent in
preparation to board the plane home, I was doing everything I could do to keep
it together. I handed her my passport and she asked why I was going home. With
tears streaming down my face, I explained that my mother had literally just
passed away hours before and I was returning home for the funeral.
At that moment she stopped and looked straight into my eyes and said son….”You are returning home to celebrate a life.” And thus, as I have learned many things from my African brothers and sisters, I know this to be true…we are here to celebrate a life!
At that moment she stopped and looked straight into my eyes and said son….”You are returning home to celebrate a life.” And thus, as I have learned many things from my African brothers and sisters, I know this to be true…we are here to celebrate a life!
The last family trip we took - went to Great Wolf Lodge (spring of 2014)
On behalf of my father, grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins
and dear friends, I thank you for being here to do just that.
In the last week, I have heard so many amazing stories about
my mother. With stories come adjectives. Loving, joyful, kind, caring, sincere,
thoughtful, willing, trustworthy, steadfast, reflective, knowledgeable,
helpful, generous, faithful, encouraging, brave, compassionate, affectionate,
amazing….the list could go on and on.
As I’ve thought about what stands out to me about my mom, it
was her love. The
definition of love says… “an
intense feeling of deep affection”
Mom and Karl (Christmas 2014)
It was this feeling of love for family and friends that has
touched us all. She would do anything to show you her love. In the same
respect, to show you her love, meant she wanted to share with you her most
prized possession. And that possession was her eternal faith in Jesus Christ.
It’s what motivated her in life and compels me in her death.
If she was standing here today and I asked her, “Mom, what do you think of your funeral? Without a doubt she would say, “I want the love and power of Jesus to be known.” Everything else would come a distant second to that request.
If she was standing here today and I asked her, “Mom, what do you think of your funeral? Without a doubt she would say, “I want the love and power of Jesus to be known.” Everything else would come a distant second to that request.
My dad and I were reading a journal she was keeping which
demonstrates her love and faith in Jesus. As she battled the evils of cancer,
she wrote these words…
I miss my mom with words I cannot express but I also rest in
the peace and assurance that she is sitting at the right hand of God.
So mom, rest assured that nobody will leave your funeral
without hearing about your prized possession…the love of Jesus that exists for
everyone here!
I love you mom!
And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
Karl going with his mom to chemo (summer 2014)
Your words were moving a real. Your mom heard them and God was glorified. You wonderful mom heard some amazing words too! "Well done good and faithful servant."
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