WHEN I CROSS THE BRIDGE...



I've had the privilege of 'doing life' with some pretty fascinating folks over my 12 years here in Georgia.  Standing out among them are John & Marion Vance.  I've never met a couple who were so 'in love' even after 67 years of marriage.  Sadly, Marion's Parkinson's overcame her zest for life & God graciously took her home after nearly 68 years of marriage. 
Knowing that her voice would soon be gone, a couple of years ago she asked her husband John, "When I cross the bridge, will you hold my hand"? 
John met Marion when he was tasked to befriend and report on a suspected communist spy in his military unit.  This guy was a party animal and John was quite the opposite but he had to adjust his lifestyle to fulfill his orders.  Not surprisingly, this mission found John in the USO one evening when his eyes fell upon "the cutest young gal" he'd ever seen.
New mission - win that gal's heart and boy did he ever...in short order.  In less than a year they were married.
Stubbornly, John determined to fulfill the last request of his 'bride' as he lovingly referred to her.  On Sunday, August the 11th - He lay down beside her and held her hand...all day long and into Monday.  Marion went to live with Jesus shortly after midnight and John held her hand as she crossed the bridge.
Deeply moved by this account, I gathered this story after praying with John in the wee hours of that Monday morning and the following literally flew from my mind to the paper.  It was a God thing.
Graciously, God enabled me to read it at the funeral a few days later.

"When I Cross The Bridge"

in memory of Marion Vance

"When I cross the bridge,

will you hold my hand?"

she asked him and he nodded yes. 

Her wish had ever been his command

Over the past 67 plus years

they'd crossed many a span

Some were a blessing and others heart rending

but all were crossed hand in hand

See John fell hard for that pretty little gal

and he's never been able to recover

Truth be told she fell hard for him too,

for each there was none but the other

Their love was one in a million. 

A picture of God's original plan

Three wonderful children, blessed memories in spades

were crafted with joy by the Vance clan

Some bridges were not so cheerful,

Parkinson's took its toll

Marion never once complained

instead, God's grace she extolled

As her voice was growing weary

she asked of her ever faithful man

"When I cross the bridge,

will you hold my hand?"

Determined to give her one last gift

with resolve John  took his stand

and as she crossed Jordan's bridge,

He faithfully held her hand

Until with aching heart of faith

to another he gave her hand

This hand still bore the scar of the nail. 

"Well done good and faithful man"