Memorial Day

Our nation celebrated Memorial Day last Monday, but we leave soon to go by the cemetery just west of Waynetown, IN, where son Jim is buried. He went to be with the Lord in August 1987 and we miss him greatly, along with his older sister Debbie who lived in DeKalb, IL, when the Lord took her home to heaven in June, 1998. Neither served in our Armed Forces, but we believe they both were lost in this spiritual war that Christians are engaged in everywhere. Debbie was born on May 31, 1954, in Weilheim/Oberbayern, Germany where we were serving as missionaries. Before birth she was watched over by a German "Hebamme" (midwife) named Frau Wagner, a very gracious lady, and when the big event was about to happen she transported the expectant Mom to the Weilheim hospital in her little VW! We had let it be known that we were expecting a boy, so one of the attending nurses came to me shortly after Debbie's arrival and profusely apologized, "Oh, es tut uns Leid, Herr Grimes, dass Sie eine Tochter haben!" ("We're sorry, but you have a daughter!") I assured the sister that we were happy to have a little girl safe on the scene and Mom doing well, too. Since she was born on May 31 the Germans called her a little "Mai Kaefer" ("June bug"), but we named her Deborah Sue. Later our young people there dubbed her "Susie" but here at home she was always "Debbie" growing up. She loved music, learned piano and especially loved to sing Christian songs and hymns, with her two sisters and Mother making a nice musical team in our ministry. She enjoyed two years of study at Faith Baptist Bible College at Ankeny, IA, and sang with groups and the School Chorale on tour one year, and my sweetest memory of her singing was at our son-in-law's ordination in Michigan City, IN, after she received the PHT degree ("Putting Hubbie Through") at his graduation from Hyles-Anderson College! She and Dan were a real blessing to our congregation at Trinity Baptist Church at Bloomfield, IN, too. On Jim's gravestone are the Bible words from Hebrews 12:2 - "Looking unto Jesus" - and we recall how he loved playing on his guitar and singing "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace." We believe that he and Debbie, with other loved ones who have gone on to Glory, are experiencing the fullest meaning of those verses now! We remember them fondly, praise the Lord for sending them into our lives, and look forward to seeing them again ... what a memorable Memorial Day that will be!