Gloria Ann Burkey

Yesterday we went to Grandma Burkey. She has cancer all throughout her body and starts chemo today. This was the last time that we'll see her healthy for quite a while. I was so amazed by her strength and courage and faith and love for Jesus. I want to have faith in Jesus like my Grandma does and be as in love with Jesus like my Grandma is. We came in and Jonathan played her the song, "You are so Beautiful to Me" and she said, "Now, do it again and I'll sing it." And she changed the words to how he is beautiful because he loves Jesus. And then Jonathan put his arms around Grandma and asked about the cancer and tears just flowed down my face as she replied... because she's so in love with Jesus, because this sickness is very real and will hurt a lot, but she's so at peace and trusting Jesus. These are the things she told us...

Psalm 119:165
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with my right hand of my righteousness.

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to take Him at His word
Just to rest upon His promise
Just to know, thus sayeth the Lord
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus
O for Grace to trust Him more.

Once, when Grandma was flying into Germany she had forgotten to take bottled water with her and the airports are different there than they are here and there are no places to get food or water as you wait to go through customs. So she's waiting and had walked around looking for water and couldn't find any. She never asked out loud, and I know my Grandma... you wouldn't know she needed or wanted water. She said that she stated to Jesus, didn't really even ask or pray, just said, "Jesus, it'd sure be nice to have some water." Not long after a lady came and had a big thing of water on top of her suit-case and said to Grandma, "Here, would you like some water? I have more in my case." Awestruck, Grandma thanked the lady and took the water and thought, "Why did she give me that water?" Afterwards, Grandma followed the lady out and went up to her and said, "Excuse me, thank you again for the water, but why did you give it to me?" And the lady said, "God told me to." Grandma said, "I know that God hears my prayers and he IS the same God now that he was back then. I've proved him over and over again. If he wants to heal me then he will. Completley, for his glory. But I don't know what he's up to. I'm ready to be with him if he takes me home, or if he heals me I would rejoice in that too. And I'm ready to fight, and just like the little girl at church this morning prayed over me, I want to use this sickness to tell more people about Jesus and that this may bring glory to his name."

At one point, she was telling us about how the people of the church prayed over her and about halfway through she couldn't take it anymore... it was focused on her, so she interupted their prayers and began talking about Jesus. I LOVE how my Grandma loves Jesus. It's not about her... it's ALL about him. That's so beautiful. I want to love him like that.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

2 Corinthians 1:3-11
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Pray for Grandma Burkey and praise Jesus for the way that he is working. Pray that He will continue to use her life to touch those around her. And pray that we, the Burkey family, would trust in Jesus the way that Grandma does.