The social distancing of recent months has changed all of our lives.  Sheltering in place brought the need for new ways to spend our time.  I found a new hobby that is both fascinating to me and filling all my free hours.   I volunteered with BillionGraves to photograph cemetery headstones.   The photos go into a database for those doing genealogical research.   Now, whatever you may think about spending the afternoon in the cemetery, you have to admit I am definitely socially distant from the folks who reside there.

A stroll among the tombstones is a true slice of life.  Some have passed the century mark, I marvel at their longevity and hope the later years were a blessing.   Some reveal the death of infants, now safely in the arms of Jesus.   Some are creative with engravings to represent the lives they enjoyed; depicting cowboys, motorcycles, race cars, even books.   As I stand there, I try to picture each one alive and active. To me it’s not so much a place of death, as a place to commemorate the beautiful lives of these mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and children.

Each name represents a special child of God, just as each of us is a child of God.  Yes, you my friend are God’s special child!  Whatever each morning may bring, you are still His, you are still special.   For that we can rejoice and give thanks.   It is a blessing totally undeserved.  Yet, it is a blessing freely given by our loving heavenly Father.  We may be socially distant from each other, but we are never ever socially distant from our heavenly Father.

Judy