Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Peace in the Process
    • Bringing Home More Than Groceries
  • Contact

When death teaches about living

April 8, 2014 by Kristin Leave a Comment

“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. 
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 
{2 Corinthians 4:18}

We drive by the cemetery almost every day on the way to school, but the last four years we’ve actually only stopped to gather around the headstone on April 6. {2011. 2012. 2013.}

It’s been four years since my father-in-law died unexpectedly. He was 58 and had very few health problems. He was involved and engaged in all sorts of community organizations. While his death left a gaping hole in the Taylor family, it has also taught us about living.

Gary believed in leaving a legacy and lived accordingly. He didn’t hold grudges and was generous. He fathered his three boys long after they didn’t live under his roof anymore. Those three boys who are now men and their momma, who I adore, continue to live out that legacy.

I think about Gary often, mostly how I wish my kids knew him. Cate had just less than three years with him and Ben was just 4 months old when he died. When we say “Granddaddy,” they know who we mean because we tell them stories. They see pictures. And they know where his body lays.

Thankfully, they also know where his soul lives.

Gary left earth four years ago yesterday, but he still teaches us. So much of Cate’s perception of heaven is that she believes her beloved Granddaddy is there. With Jesus. Now Ben is learning that too.

“Reality isn’t restricted by the limits of our ability to understand. … And heaven is real even if we have a hard time envisioning it. But there’s good news — God has told us enough that we can begin to do just that. … We do have the necessary earthly reference points to gain a significant — though incomplete — understanding of heaven.”

{From “In Light of Eternity” by Randy Alcorn}

Heaven goes far beyond Granddaddy, but I can’t help but to be grateful for the lessons of living and dying that he continues teaching us from his eternal home. His death has given our family perspective. We gather at the cemetery each year because it’s a good visual for the kids and prompts reminiscing, but we know it’s only his earthly body there. His soul that loves Jesus is alive and well.

________

Joining Jen Ferguson’s Soli Deo Gloria party, Jennifer Dukes Lee’s #TellHisStory, and Holley Gerth’s Coffee for Your Heart with this post. 

Want more stories? Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Coffee for Your Heart, faith, family, Greg, motherhood, quotes, Soli Deo Gloria

Comments

  1. Lisa notes... says

    April 8, 2014 at 2:59 pm

    Even though my youngest daughter was already in her teens when my mother died, I regret that she won't have many lasting memories of her, and none of her in her "good" years but rather mostly her Alzheimer's ones. But she hears the stories we all tell of my mother, and she knows that her soul is alive and well. A beautiful story, Kristin. I pray your kids will *know* their grandfather in ways that go beyond the physical. He sounds like he was a wonderful man.

    Reply
  2. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 8, 2014 at 8:37 pm

    I'm so glad you're experiencing that same hope. May God continue to bless you and your family. Thanks for your comment here.

    Reply
  3. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 8, 2014 at 8:38 pm

    Thanks, Lisa. I'm glad you understand that feeling of wanting to pass along those stories to our kids. It's definitely a part of parenting I wasn't prepared for, but, as always, God has provided the insights.

    Reply
  4. Jody Ohlsen Collins says

    April 9, 2014 at 12:23 am

    Kristin, our daughter and son in law lost their baby on Jan 31st after a difficult pregnancy (she was about 4 months pregnant.) They will testify to anyone who will listen how much their son taught them through his passing. Your father in law's loss must have been so very difficult (58 is very young) but you are wise to continue to make his death part of your lives. Wonderful post!

    Reply
  5. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 9, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    Oh, I feel for your daughter and her family, but so thankful they recognized God's teaching through it. A friend told me the other day: God doesn't waste anything. It's so true, even though it's sometimes hard to see. Thanks for your comment here, Jody!

    Reply
  6. Ellen Chauvin says

    April 9, 2014 at 9:13 pm

    Wonderful legacy that your father-in-law left! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  7. KristinHillTaylor says

    April 9, 2014 at 9:38 pm

    Thanks for stopping by and reading, Ellen!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our high school girl who never forgets, our middle school boy who has no fear, and our joy-filled first-grade girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

Subscribe for Updates

Recent Posts

  • How to host a party
  • All the places she’ll go
  • Cruising for Spring Break
  • How to take care of yourself
  • How to recreate favorite foods

Join the Conversation

Join the Conversation

On Instagram

@racershoops camp was so fun for Rachel and a few @racershoops camp was so fun for Rachel and a few of her friends! Despite all the basketball she has consumed as a spectator, I didn’t know how Rachel was going to feel about playing basketball. 

Spoiler: She enjoyed it, learned to grab rebounds, scored on the 10-foot goal, and turned extra cartwheels to celebrate. 

Big brother gets his turn next week. We love our Racers and are grateful to have these opportunities. 

#84daysofsummer #basketballcamp #basketball #RacerNation #WeAreRacers #momlife #thirdchild #summerisbest #girlmom
🎶 All throughout my history / Your faithfulness 🎶 All throughout my history / Your faithfulness has walked beside me / The winter storms made way for spring / In every season, from where I'm standing / I see the evidence of Your goodness / All over my life … 🎶 @joshbaldwin in “Evidence”

I love summer. But my summer has started off busy: appointments, book edits deadline, establish new habits with the kids at home. All that’s necessary and good, it just cuts into my down time beside the pool. 

Today we have two open gyms for our basketball players, my book study with a few friends, a new weekly high school girls’ book study at our house, and a monthly dad-son character study. 

I long for a little more white space on the calendar, but I also wouldn’t change a thing because the kids are only 16, 13, and 7 once. This summer will only be this summer once. And I’ve already learned time flies with big kids. 

So here we are finding out footing, singing praises with church friends on our porch, grilling delicious chicken, and squeezing in the wide-open spaces when we can. This is evidence of the good stuff. 

#84daysofsummer #poolpeople #momlife #momconfessions #faithlife #livingfaithfully #favoritethings #choosingJOY #countryliving #reallife #PorchStories
The Hill family reunion at @shelterpointretreat ha The Hill family reunion at @shelterpointretreat has become a favorite tradition to kick off summer! The weather was perfect and everyone enjoyed one another. 

#familyreunion #lakelife #kentuckylake #kylake #getoutside #familytime #memorialday #memorialdayweekend #favoritethings #84daysofsummer #summerisbest #choosingJOY
Hello, #84daysofsummer! ☀️ #TeamTaylor #girl Hello, #84daysofsummer! ☀️ 

#TeamTaylor #girlmom #boymom #momlife #reallife #summerisbest #siblinglove #countryliving #poolpeople #getoutside
First of all, who else has read this book? The plo First of all, who else has read this book? The plot was promising as a thriller and the setting really worked. There were some good twists, and then there were ridiculous twists. I skimmed the end only because I wanted it to make sense. And it didn’t. It was too weird for me. 

But this made me wonder: how do we know if a book is going to be weird, contain elements we don’t like, or go places that don’t make sense? I don’t like to read much about a book before I read the book. Usually, I do a better job of picking books for myself. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #donotrecommend #bookofthemonth @bookofthemonth
I needed this low-key weekend that was pleasant we I needed this low-key weekend that was pleasant weather, a mixture of productivity and rest, and had plenty of wide-open space to enjoy our property and each other. 

#weekending #TeamTaylor #poolpeople #countryliving #favoritethings #choosingJOY #maydays
And that’s a wrap on soccer season! I love watch And that’s a wrap on soccer season! I love watching them both play. 

#soccermom #weekending #springtime #momlife #girlmom #boymom
On Mothers Day, I wanted to sit by the pool with a On Mothers Day, I wanted to sit by the pool with a book, but I didn’t know what I wanted to read. Whenever I have indecision about books, picking up a thriller usually helps because of the story’s pace. 

“The Only Survivors” worked well because there was a lot happening! Lots of creepy, mysterious moments. Only so many people could be guilty of infiltrating a small group who had lots of secrets! 

I loved the timeline of this one. The back story about an accident was told in seven one-hour segments. The present mystery was told in seven days. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #latergram #bookofthemonth @bookofthemonth #poolpeople #mothersday
Y’all we are very ready for summer. ☀️ And Y’all we are very ready for summer. ☀️ 

And when I say summer, I mean we are ready to shake up the routine, mentally regroup, turn off the alarms, establish some new habits, soak in the sun, and catch up with friends we’ve been crossing paths with too quickly. 

I want to savor the #84daysofsummer and I want to embrace this new season. And it’s almost time. Three more days of school. (Deep breaths.) 

Meanwhile, I’m going to keep collecting the moments — the hard, hurried, happy, and heartfelt. The seasons do change, but this is the life we are living. 

“The moments you collect may not be loud or flashy. They might be quiet or covered or a far-off view you were lucky to catch. But this I know to be true: A moment savored says to your soul, ‘You have lived something beautiful.’ And it keeps you buoyed. It sustains you when you’re running empty. It lifts you up and carries you forward.” — Joanna Gaines in @magnolia summer 2023 journal issue no. 27 

#momlife #reallife #momconfessions #livingfaithfully #summerisbest #teenagedriver #choosingJOY
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorites

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2023 Kristin Hill Taylor | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM