Unbelievable
After finding out about the disease that would soon take his life, (CJD – commonly referred to as “Mad Cow Disease”) Scott, the analytical engineer that he was, was ever making mental connections with his life and the disease. Ok first off – he brings up the fact that we actually live next door to a cow pasture (yes, in Duluth, owned by a farmer who refuses to sell out to suburban sprawl.) Then strangely enough, Scott had just been working on a few “cow” projects at his job at Slingshot, where he was head of engineering; one being a GPS system for farmers so they could better locate their cows, and an advanced technology for an automatic milking machine called the “Boumatic”. Anyway, all of this cow talk reminded him of his innovative but very strange idea he had for exotic cheeses from animals other than cows….and the smaller the mammal, (which would be harder to milk…as well as a challenge to get much milk from.) the higher the price for the cheese. Oh my goodness – we were hurting from laughing so much as we’d name one exotic cheese after another and each would sound more ridiculous than the one before: horse cheese, deer cheese, raccoon cheese, cat cheese, dog cheese, mouse cheese, bat cheese, whale cheese….lion ….tiger….. and bear cheese! Oh my! Ok, you get the picture, however strange and distasteful that picture can be! Whether he was serious or not, I really don’t know, but he sure wanted to make us laugh. How one can go from tears to laughter back to tears and then laughter again – I really don’t know. But I can tell you it’s possible. There was much levity mingled in with much sorrow – a very unbelievable time.

A few days after we got home from the hospital where we were given the diagnosis, a great number of dear friends & elders from the church came to our house to pray for Scott. Yet he was the one to do much of the praying that day, hardly letting the real preachers in the room have their time. He spoke of God’s goodness, of the glimpses of heaven he was seeing; “If you could only see what I’m seeing now.” and repeating over and over the key verse he was holding on to: “Taste and see that the Lord is good”…and he’d add “I’ll be eating at the King’s Table”. We all got glimpses into heaven that day that were so real, so tangible. Yet in one of his times of repeating that verse, and always wanting to lighten up heavy situations, he added a new ending. “Taste and see that the Lord is good – but just don’t taste the hamburgers!” Right in the middle of this serious time of prayer, hesitant laughter suddenly filled the room.

Yet to see such faith, such hope, such optimism in the face of death was quite encouraging. I know it pleased Scott to have others enter into his world for a moment and give them a “peak thru the keyhole of heaven”.

After his death, I got a taste of that myself, seeing beauty and glory around me like I’ve never known before. I realized how the wonderful things I experience here on earth are tiny tastes, tiny glimpses, tiny echoes of heaven, as if God were leaving a trail of “glory” breadcrumbs so we could find our way home. I’m thankful for the sweet gift of better vision in this season of loss, when I needed it the most.

Unbelievable

This kiss on my lips, this sweetness – it’s a touch of glory.

This feast, of food so heavenly, it’s a bit of what’s to be, a taste of glory

All that’s good and glorious, beautiful – it’s here for us – to see…..

And I fall to my knees, unbelievable!

All this Wonder around me, it’s a hint of what’s to come

This scene, oh it takes my breath away as the sun comes down

and colors play with the sky – for a glimpse of glory.

Hear the sound of the waves upon the sea,

nature whispering to me, leading me home.

All I’ve seen’s a pale description – all I’ve heard’s the faintest sound

For someday I will see, and hear and touch and taste in Full!!

And I fall to my knees, unbelievable!

All this Wonder around me, it’s a hint of what’s to come.

Look around, there’s bits of glory to be found

Taste and see, Follow the sound of “Glorious” .

Breathe it in, feel it on your skin, listen to the hum.

Heaven’s left a trail of “glory breadcrumbs” leading us Home…..

Feel the glorious. Taste the glorious. See the glorious. Hear the glorious….