funeral

sometimes the "highly unlikely" comes to pass after all. I was unexpectedly able to go to my neighbour's funeral. I'm glad, I shall miss her. The words at the end of the service were great - tho led by an Anglican Minister they were the URC words of her church - I have found them online and share them below as it's a great call to us all as to how we can live and grieve.
I have bought ready made mashed potato for the first time ever. All I want to do when the kids get home is cuddle up to them, so I chose tea with minimum prep. My girly wants to audition for The Sound Of Music at her school and as we've still never seen it, tonight (before choir) is the night to camp under the duvet. Perfect.

God, source of all life,
mysterious, profound, generous in love,
we give thanks because we have seen you in N.
We give thanks for his/her life;
for all that he/she was,
and for all that he/she gave of himself/herself
to his/her family, to friends,
to the community of faith in the Church,
to the world of work
and to the wider community.
We thank you for….
We give thanks
for what he/she was to each one of us.
We give thanks that he/she was such a person
that we are moved to grief and sorrow by his/her loss.
Help us, through his/her death,
to see more clearly the significance of life
and to grasp more firmly the hope
that we are more than our years
and that love is stronger than death.
We pray for ourselves,
disturbed by the great mystery of death,
facing the questions it raises and the loss it brings.
We pray that we will not be overwhelmed,
but may face honestly what confronts us,
so that we may sorrow freely
and turn to life again
with courage and with hope.
As we honour N
we commit ourselves to care for each other,
to bring hope to the despairing,
and joy to those who sorrow.
God, be with us here this day
and in all the days to come.
May we live as those who remember the past
and who have hope for the future.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ
our Lord and our Redeemer.