One year ago today
It’s hard to believe that one year ago today I said goodbye to my best friend. I was holding her hand and talking to her about the bird in the tree just outside her window that was feeding its babies and singing its song. It was a Sunday morning, and my siblings had gone to church while I kept my vigil at her bedside. Since my mother sung in the choir until past her 98th birthday, I thought it was only fitting to sing songs on Sunday morning with her. I began with, In The Morning I See His Face, from there I sang, When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder, the next selection was, Surely Goodness And Mercy Shall Follow Me. While I was singing, It Is Well With My Soul, she squeezed my hand, coughed, and died. I ran for the nurse and they rushed me out the room to do a quick examination, only to come out and confirm my suspicions. Although I knew the day was imminent, I still was not ready to hear the words. Knowing the cell phones of my siblings would be turned off , I called my best friend and she came running to comfort me, as she has for over 60 years.
My mother was the matriarch of our family, living an exemplary life as an example for us, who come after her. Hebrews 12:1 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” she ran her race and finished her course and laid the groundwork for us to run our races. Was my mother perfect? I would have to answer that with a resounding no, but not for lack of trying. She was stubborn, and had a temper, but loved with an unfailing love and devotion to her God, her children, their spouses, and their children, and so on.
God did not create us with the intention of us to die, death is unnatural, but is the ultimate payment for sin. To save us from eternal death He was willing to give up His only begotten Son to die on the cross, so we would have eternal life with Him. This of course is a choice of free will, whether or not to choose the blood of Christ for the redemption of sin, or stay in your sinful state and suffer its fate. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
A day does not go by that I don’t think about my mother, and miss her wisdom, and her laughter. And when I say she is in a better place, it is not lip service, but fact, beyond a doubt. She is reunited with my son, my father, and a great cloud of witnesses, and will be there to greet me someday. I LOVE YOU MOM!!!
As parents we want what is best for our children, and dedicate our lives to that purpose. My mother kept a constant vigil, teaching us the Bible, taking us to church, to youth group, and being a great example. It is my greatest wish to follow after her in the same regard, teaching my children, my grandchildren, and witnessing to people I meet about Jesus Christ. How can we do less then prepare our children for eternity?
We as authors would be honored to have other authors try to emulate us. In order to be worthy of that, we would have to write epic works that would be worth their devotion. Shouldn’t our lives reflect the same, or even more stalwart behavior to be examples for the ones coming up after us? Something to think about.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Revelation 21:4
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Philippians 1:3