An Abundance of Grace

 The link for this week's streamed service is here.

This week we had an interment of a former member of SPPC in the Garden of Remembrance. The weather was grey and wet, the grass soggy but the stories and memories of Grace Dodds were undampened. Her family and friends were fond of calling her "Amazing Grace." Her husband used to whistle around the house and his favourite tune was Amazing Grace. They were married for 72 years.

Grace loved to sing. As an air force wife she lived in many communities across Canada, and joining a church or community choir brought her many friends and made her feel at home wherever they lived. When they resided in Summerside, PEI, she sang with the Don Messer Jubilee singers on occasion. A highlight of her musical life was singing a duet with Marg Osburne at a wedding. 

Over the years Grace worked in many jobs, taught music, worked as a nanny, started a preschool in her home and later, at the request of the commanding officer, on the base in Cold Lake, Alberta. For fun, she and Viv bowled and went square dancing. 

By the time I knew her at SPPC, her singing days were waning, but she was a stalwart supporter of the senior choir and of the Living Flame Choir. She also baked for the Blue Bus. Even at 94 she made oatmeal, coconut, chocolate chip cookies because the kids in the program really liked them.

Perhaps that was the key to her long and happy life--Grace was 100 years and 8 months old when she passed away--doing for others. My own mom used to say, "if you're feeling low, do something for someone else." Maybe that's why Grace always had a smile on her face and a song in her heart. She was doing for someone else.

Grace was a great one for memorizing scripture, including the whole of the Book of John. And so, dear Grace, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14: 1-3