Today marks three years since the passing of my dearly departed sweetheart, Marcia Mandle, December 12, 2016. I want to pause and remember in gratitude the time we shared together. But first I want to say...

Thank you my friends and followers for being there for me. I have often expressed that blogging on Steemit and Weku has offered me a new beginning in my life and for that I am grateful. It has been therapeutic for me to blog. I know I will see her again and look forward to the joy of that. In the mean time there is a lot of work to do. I feel I am here to fulfill a ministry of truth and love.

A God Filled Relationship

Marcia and I shared so many things in common. Estate sales, dining, road trips, gardening, raking leaves, music gigs, family gathering...you name it, we were inseparable. We were supportive of each other and real partners. Yet, what was most important was we had God as the glue for our relationship. We prayed together and worshiped together. Our time was full of energy and had life. God had blessed us and breathed that life into our love. Yet, everything has a season.

Troy and Marcia, January, 2016, Rock Island, IL

The Story of her Passing

Marcia died unexpectedly 6 days following an eye surgery. She loved the Lord. Yet, sadly she was suffering physical, emotional and financial difficulties and there are many unanswered questions to her passing. She wanted to marry and I so regret us not doing that. However, I wanted to have her family on board. She was preparing to move from her home. Little did she know her home was not to be on earth. Several times she said she did not think she would have a long life. A week before she died, she said she would not be in my life in the coming year. What did she know? Erie how words become fulfilled.

I spoke on the phone with her for about 45 minutes on the morning she passed. I had a music gig that day. She later spoke with her sister and oldest daughter. She was extremely depressed. She died on the phone talking to her daughter. They believe it was a blood clot to the heart.

The Lessons of Love

We grow and learn from life and death. There are several take aways. Grief is gratitude. Tears are cleansing to the soul. And seasons don't last forever. But most of all...Life is short. Love one another and be good to one another, while you still have one another.

The Book

I am finishing up a book that I have written about our relationship. At present it is 104 pages with detailed info about our relationship, poems, lists, following her passing and more. I have found that God spoke to me through recognizing numbers and dates and experiencing 'God winks.' This has helped me in closure and acceptance.

The Spiritual Inheritance

I am organist at Trinity UMC in Milan, IL. I have Marcia and God to thank for this, as it was her church growing up and her mom and sister still go there. I became organist July 2019. This is a 'spiritual inheritance' that speaks to my heart.

Trinity UMC, Milan, IL

Words of Humble Gratitude

I would like to share a couple of excerpts that says it all.

Today marks three years since the passing of our dearly departed Marcia Mandle. We share tears of gratitude for her touching our lives in such beautiful ways. As she was a humble, selfless, forgiving person full of God's love, I encourage all to embrace those beautiful qualities. In doing so she lives on in our hearts until the time we can be with her again. We so miss you, Marcia. See you soon.

Marcia - Thank you for the 4 years and 12 days we shared as a couple. I miss you every day honey and am soooo grateful for the love you gave me and all the many and beautiful things we did during that brief time. It was indeed a God thing that will never be taken away from us. You are forever in my heart.

Marcia L. Mandle
(1954 - 2016)

Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment, upvote or reesteem. Blessings Troy