The Soul
6/1/2017

At some time or another we ask questions about heaven. We've heard sermons on it, seen movies about it, or read about in the bible trying to come to some understanding about heaven.  Even though we know it will be a place of happiness it's still hard to totally comprehend it all, for the head knows one thing and the heart feels another. It is that heart that wants to be reassured we will see and know those who have gone on before us.

The bible talks about the soul and how it leaves our earthly bodies which won't be needed in heaven.  So, will we know someone in heaven by their soul without their earthly bodies?  I don't know, but I do know that in the last few months of dad's life, I saw his soul.

This poem came to me one night while sitting up with him and read at his celebration of life.

"THE SOUL"

It is a soul that sings base to all the church songs on road trips to Tennessee.

It is a soul that sings a song about a drinking duck as he is pulls one of his daughter's tooth.

 

It is a soul that teaches his daughters Sunday school classes.

It is a soul that questions God.

 

It is a soul that is always doing for others.

It is a soul that shows his daughters the heart of a servant.

 

It is a soul that encourages one daughter to go to nursing school.

It is a soul that makes all tummy aches go away with a visit from "Dr. Coats."

 

It is a soul that encourages one daughter to open her own beauty shop.

It is a soul that makes sure he always has a comb in pocket.

 

It is a soul that encourages one daughter to write, tell or sing her stories.

It is a soul that always has some great one liners.

 

It is a soul that teaches each daughter to drive.

It is a soul that makes sure one of those daughters gets back into the car to drive after having an accident so as not to be afraid of driving again, which happens on more than one occasion.

 

It is a soul the disciplines his daughters.

It is a soul that grieves when he must discipline them.

 

It is a soul that gives his grandchildren piggy back rides while wearing a red wig.

It is a soul that beat the odds on his third back surgery.

 

 

 

It is a soul that takes his daughters camping in a pop up camper.

It is a soul that takes his grandchildren camping in a pull trailer because they shouldn't be in a pop up camper.

 

It is a soul that slowly walks his first-born daughter down the aisle.

It is a soul that slowly walks to the casket of his first-born daughter.

 

It is a soul when coming home from work is met at the door by two little girls.  They run to sit on his feet, wrap their arms around his legs, as he walks all around the house calling out "Now where are those girls?"

It is a soul that those same little girls lift their father out of the bed to the chair because his legs no longer have the strength to hold him.

 

It is a soul that pays his daughters to remove dead mice because he has a weak stomach.

It is a soul that gets sick from the medicine he must now take.

 

It is a soul that is behind a towel, held by his wife because it never fails that one of his daughters must use the bathroom when he's taking a bath.

It is a soul that holds up a blanket around himself when his daughters help him use the bathroom as he can no longer do it on his own.

 

It is a soul who drinks coffee with his great grandson at the snack bar. One has coffee in a mug, the other a sippy cup of juice.

It is a soul that uses a sippy cup for his coffee, because his hands can no longer hold a mug.

 

It is a soul that shows what it is to commit to marriage.

It is a soul that holds on to this life until he is reassured there is someone to care for his wife of 66 years.

 

It is a soul that makes funny sounds of belching and passing gas.

It is a soul whose body makes frightening sounds as it prepares to leave this earth.

 

It is a soul with no cancer.

It is a soul with peace.

 

It is a soul of a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, cousin, friend.

It is a soul of a Christian.

 

 

 

 

Additional Reading:

Titus 2:2

Proverbs 22:6

Ephesians 5:25-26

I John 5:13

 

"Anyone can be a Father, it takes someone very special to be a dad."

 

In memory of our dad, James Oliver Coats, 7/16/1923 -  3/12/2013 -- "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY"

 

©Melinda Sutherland 6/1/17






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