This is my Uncle...

Hillard Lee Hiner

April 10, 1920 - February 16, 2011

This is my Mom's Big Brother.  This is my Uncle.  This is my kids Great Uncle.  This is my Cousin's Father.  This is my Second Cousin's Grandfather.  This is my Father's Brother-in-Law.  This is a Child of God.  


It occurred to me in the past month just how very faithless I am. 


When I was little, my parents taught me to pray.  My earliest "Prayer Memories" were for my Grandmother and my Uncle to come to know Christ as their personal Savior.  When my Grandmother accepted Christ when I was a little girl, my prayers zeroed in on my Uncle.  In fact, the first time I ever prayed with Ryan, before we were even an "item", was backstage before a performance of The Passion Play, that my Uncle would be attending.  Ryan prayed with me for a VERY long time, and although it was 20 years ago, I vividly remember.  My very FAVORITE memory of these prayers is really my brothers... my mom was our Bible teacher at the little Christian school we attended and there was a question in our workbooks that said, "Is there someone you pray for to receive Christ as their Savior?" or something along those lines.  Of course, my brother wrote in "Uncle Hillard".  As did Scott Latour, who was copying my brother's homework.  Scott might have gotten away with it if my Uncle had been named "John" or something a little more common!  We've laughed about that for a long time.


Fast forward to the weekend before my Uncle passed away.  My mother had gone up to NH to be with him for the second time in as many weeks.  I was at Flatwoods, working on a 12 mile "run".  Praying.  The usual prayer for my Uncle, perhaps more urgently in case God wasn't aware that time was running out.  Faithless.  I added a new prayer this time around, however...  that God would comfort us if this wasn't really his plan for my Uncle.  Faithless.  It made sense to me to pray this way, as lots of times God has a completely different plan that we do.  I wanted to be open to the miracle, whether it was the miracle I liked best, or the one He liked best.  Amazingly, the next day, my Uncle received Christ as his Savior.  He even told my mom to talk to his girlfriend to make sure SHE understood too.  He told my mom, "I'm going with you now!".  Sweet words.  


Words I thought I'd never hear.  Faithless.  When my mom shared this story with me, I was beyond overjoyed, as you can imagine.  But my very next thought was, "I never thought it would happen!!!" Faithless.  There was a nagging part in my head that reminded me that sometimes people don't get cured, sometimes people lose their job, sometimes people don't arrive safely, sometimes babies don't come, sometimes life doesn't go "well"... no matter how hard you pray.  It occurs to me, especially when I have these thoughts, that this isn't what prayer is about.  It's not about giving your shopping list to God and asking Him to pick up everything on His way home.  It's about communicating with Him.  And believing that He's got your best interest in mind, even when it seems YOUR idea of your best interest is somewhat different than His.  It's about Trust.  


Ryan always reminds me that God isn't surprised by anything.  He knew on the day my Uncle was born that for 90 years he wouldn't believe, but that 3 days before he died, he would believe.  Anyways, I love this story.  I love that chapters of my Uncle's life are essentially still being written.  I love that he is in an Amazing place, and that he is a "whosoever" (that is for YOU, Ryan!).  I love that we will see him again.  


So, MY UNCLE!  Really more of a Grandpa to us, as he was 23 years older than my mom, and their father passed away before we were all born.  I always loved the fact that he LOOKED so much like our grandfather's pictures.  He always called me "Honey", in his rich, gruff voice.  He was with us for so many important events in our lives, and just KNOWING he was there, made me smile.  He could be opinionated and cranky, but I kind of liked that about him... always made me laugh!  He was such a sweet Big Brother to my mom, who he adored.
My kids will always remember the day we dragged him to see Madagascar with us.  Torrey and Tracy were visiting and we trooped the kids and Uncle Hillard up to the TOP row of the movie theatre, balancing soda's and popcorn!  We sure laughed alot, and HE sure laughed alot. 

Tracy and I flew up to NH to be with my mom.  We were hoping to make it before Uncle Hillard passed away, but we did not.  Laurie was already with her, and we did our best to help Mom with arrangements and just being there to love her!  We made her laugh some, so I think that was good for my Mom!!  We had a memorial service that was exactly what my uncle would have loved... in the Community Center of the retirement community where he lived, where he played cribbage and cards!  It was a big living room type setting, and many people stood up to talk about him, which was really great.  


We are going to miss him.  But we WILL see him again.  Amazing.


This is the obituary Laurie wrote: 


GOFFSTOWN -- Hillard Lee Hiner, 90, died Feb. 16, 2011, at Concord Hospital after a period of declining health.

He was born April 10, 1920, in Boston, the son of Joseph E. Hiner and Helen (Germer) Hiner.

He served in the U.S. Army for three years in the European Theatre duringWorld War II, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, earning the Good Conduct Medal and Victory Medal.

Mr. Hiner worked for B&M Railroad and later as an operator of heavy construction equipment.

He was vice president of the Tri-State NH-ME-VT Battle of the Bulge Chapter 17. He was a member of the VFW and Danbury Grange.

He is survived by his partner of 21 years, Florence McLaughlin of Goffstown.

The family also includes his son, Robert L. Hiner; a daughter, Sandra Morrison of Canton S.D.; a sister, Judith G. Melton of Tampa, Fla.; seven grandchildren; several great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

SERVICES: A memorial service is Friday at 6 p.m. at Medford Farms, 96 Partridge Road, Goffstown

Spring burial with military honors is planned for May. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Salvation Army 121 Cedar St. Manchester 03101.

"For God so loved the world 

that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish

but have eternal life."

John 3:16