The Unforgettable Speech by Grandpa Toews

No one who was there will ever forget the day of Grandma Agatha Toews’ funeral. Most of the family members attending don’t remember much about the funeral service itself. That’s because there was a pre-service family gathering in which Grandpa Toews spoke.

Grandpa Toews’ speech was notable in the minds of those who heard it for two reasons. One was because it was unusual to hear Grandpa speak so much at one time! He was a quiet, unassuming man. However, whenever he spoke, his words were worthy of the full attention of those to whom he was speaking. Which leads to the second reason his speech that day was so memorable: in both content and delivery it was poignantly impactful.

The impact of Grandpa’s speech was in great part because everyone in the family was highly familiar with the many physical challenges and setbacks which Grandma had experienced over the years. I don’t think I have ever met anyone more afflicted with the pain and disfigurement of rheumatoid arthritis than Grandma, to which arthritis brought additional pain and limitations. Many of her grandchildren cannot remember ever seeing her walk. Multiple strokes contributed to increasing blindness, until she was unable to see anything.

In other words, as the family listened to Grandpa that day of Grandma’s funeral, every person there was picturing Grandma as we knew her in the previous 20-30 years. Each person considered how Grandpa had so faithfully cared for Grandma, dealing with the challenges that her physical infirmities presented on a daily, moment-by-moment basis, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week—and he did so out of love, without complaining at all. Each person there knew that Grandpa dearly loved the Lord and dearly loved his wife.

Thankfully, the large majority of the family members gathered that day knew Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, which meant we believed in His resurrection and ours. Everyone knew that Grandpa and Grandma both trusted in Jesus and sought His glory in their daily lives. So the tears which were shed by Grandpa and everyone in that room listening to him were tears of joy and gladness, victory and relief. For the few who did not know the Lord, there was much to ponder with a sense of sober seriousness.

Here’s the record of what Grandpa said at the pre-service family gathering.

THOUGHTS OF JACOB J. TOEWS GIVEN AT THE PRIVATE FAMILY SERVICE

I know this is unusual, but last night I couldn’t sleep, and the Lord spoke to me. He asked, “Will you testify for Me?” 

“I will, if You give me the grace to.”
So He came to me in question form and He asked me, “Do you remember how that your wife had such pain in her feet that you had to move her so often, very often, towards the last almost constantly, in order to bear the pain?” 

I said, “I sure do!“ 

Well He said, “Do you know what she is doing now? She is up here walking and jumping and praising Me.” Then He went a little farther. . . her legs. Often times they would crinkle. Towards the last, several times she asked me to pull them out a little, and you know, they cracked as though they were wood! It didn’t seem to hurt her when she asked for it . 

Then He said, “Do you remember how that she had pain in her body?”
”I sure do!”
“Do you know where it is? . . . in the casket!”
Further on, remember how that she could not eat food. . . she’s eating the Bread of Life up there, and so it went on. He went to the heart! Her heart was getting weaker and weaker and finally stopped. She’s got a new one now. I couldn’t but rejoice! 

He went up a little further to her hands. Her hands and arms were always folded this way. She couldn’t move them up enough to reach her face. Up there she is praising the Lord! Her voice was so dim that I had to put my ear to her lips to hear her at last. The last thing she asked me was, ”Will you read a verse, . . .” Well, Jake will mention that, but she just wanted me to read a verse of a song that I had probably read to her twelve times that night. And a little further on I thought, “She’s been lying there for a long time. First she had night: finally she just launched out of the night, the vision, and she was looking into the face of Jesus! Maybe she’ll do it till I come there, too!”

We have to have a passport or a visa or permission to enter in. Only the blood of Jesus Christ will let us enter in. I don’t know. . . this isn’t usual, but I just had to do this. The Lord gave me peace and sleep after I did. So forgive me for doing what I did! Unless your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you’ll not get to heaven!