How High How Deep How Wide Is Love Love Love

It’s been a while. But hey, I arrived to Recife, Brazil yesterday! I’m still kinda getting to realize that I’m really here and that I’m going to be here for some time now. It feels good, exciting and challenging.

By now I actually should have been in Recife for two weeks already, but my grandma Ulla died a day before I was supposed to leave Finland, at March 31th. She died peacefully and beautifully at the age of 81 trusting to Jesus. But of course we, the whole big family, are missing her so, so much. Our grandma Ulla was amazingly loving and she really poured out so much love for us. Like my brother Juho said, grandma Ulla didn’t love selectively and cautiously. No, she loved with her whole heart and didn’t leave anybody out.

I postponed my departure by two weeks. And it was a good decision – it was really good to start the grieving process with the people who share the loss and to be at the funeral and memorial service.

Just a couple of days before my grandma died, when we were still hoping that she would get better for the cancer she had, I read this verse from the Bible:

"When they arrive at the gates of death, God welcomes those who love Him." (Psalm 116:15, The Message)

What a joy is to know that grandma Ulla is now in Heaven with God. And that she was so greatly welcomed!

My grandma Ulla and my grandpa Paavo in the summer of 2008.

Albert Einstein once said that only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. In the memorial service I told that to me grandma Ulla is one of the greatest examples of how true that is. She really lived for others, for loving, caring, comforting and praying.

I’m so thankful to God for all the love He poured to me through my grandma Ulla. And I’m grateful that I got her in my life almost for 25 years. And I'm thankful of her life. She was married for my grandpa Paavo for over 60 years, from the year 1953 till the day she died, had six children and 20 grandchildren. Their marriage was so beautiful in so many ways and she lived a beautiful life full of love.

Yesterday evening here at the Shores of Grace base we were worshipping and singing "I wanna know how high, how deep, how wide is love, love, love." Amen. That's what I want to know, more and more every day. I want to understand more that love looks like something. Grandma Ulla showed that in so many ways: her love looked for example like hugs, kisses, her loving presence, beautiful wool socks, amazing meals, her joyful laughter and so many other things. Love really does look like somehing and I know that God wants to teach me more about how I can show His love to people anywhere I am.