Vignettes of Life (part 1)

 My mother stood in my hospital room and told me every day, even before I was conscious, that God had saved me for a purpose. This truth is what I continue to cling to every day of my life. God can use me for His plan. • I believe that I am better able to see the blessings in life. I will always feel a terrific gratitude for the way my parents raised me –twice - both before and after the accident, to love Jesus. 

This is a tribute to the life of my mom. Vignette's of a life.

                        A memory of her final days, from my perspective:

She called me, right after she fell in the bathroom, to ask for prayer. She knew she could count on me for prayer, just like my sisters. I call on both of them when I need it.

To have a family that can turn to each other for love and prayer is the most important connection we can have.

The last time I talked to her, she answered the phone so happy. I said, “Oh you sound good.” It was a short conversation that ended with my usual comment, I said “God bless your day”.

She said, as she always did “And yours.”

God did bless her. He gave her peace in perfection.

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A story in the book of Matthew tells of someone suffering that claimed our Lord could heal him if it was His will. Jesus reached out His hand and said “I will, be clean” (Matthew 8:3)

Aha. . . mom reached out her hand and grasped onto the hand of Jesus. She told my dad that she was ready to leave this shell of a body and go home to be with Jesus. Then she said the thing that will forever be on my dad’s heart as she expressed her forever love for him. She told my dad how she wanted him not to wait too long; and he should come when he is ready. She was saying that she loved dad and that she knew they could live forever with Jesus. What a wonderful way to express love and loyalty. The love they shared was mentioned at my daughter, Angela's wedding dinner, as an example.

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My father showed her the best gift of love by letting her go. He knows he will see her again.

What an expression of faith. She loved my dad, through trials and through joys. She loves her Jesus. Always has. She knew that as Jesus called her she would be going to see her mom and dad again. She was blessed to have parents that brought her up in the church and taught her the love of Christ.

She would be with dad’s parents also. Mom is with God waiting to greet me when I come. I know I will see her again, too.

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She told me that I was saved for a purpose and I believe that God can use me to fulfill that purpose. God can use you, too, to fulfill His purpose.

We may never know the purpose that we each have; we may never know the impact of our words or actions; and we may never understand why some things happen, but we can trust that God can take what we give to His glory. And that, my friends is what we can see. We will one day see the full glory of God.

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Mom & Dad always made Christmas and my birthday special, the later on December 23rd.  It has always been my time, I used to tell my mom that I wanted Christmas songs sung at my memorial.  The city decorates the streets for my birthday. The stores have sales, for my birthday. Christmas music is played and rejoicing is done, for my birthday and Jesus.

I am really so excited for my mom. Christmas in Heaven, she is so blessed.
I am trying not to sound unsympathetic to my father and siblings, I want to say thank you to my Jesus for sharing this Christmas with her. She likes soft blue lights around the windows and she will make Your Birthday an extra special day, just like she always did for me.

She will love to sing Christmas carols in the Heavenly Choir too. She will do some gourmet cooking if you like. She will be a great friend to have, if you need to talk or just sit and hold Your Hand.

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So many songs ~ I love you a bushel and a peck ~ You are my Sunshine …..

So many poems ~ I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me and what can be the use of him is more than I can see. . . .

So many expressions ~ Oh sugar jets.

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I just called my dad and he read the Thank You letter he received from the University of Washington Medical School. It was a thank you for the body of my deceased mother for scientific study.

I started to cry, but as he continued to read it, I began to feel such a deep gratitude for mom & dad’s decision to donate their remains to science. What a gift. God is still using what she offered physically. The emotional gifts that she offered me will continue all the days of my life. Thank you, God. Amen. 

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On the day my mother died, I went to the window and looked outside. It had been hours since my sister had called with the news, but what I saw, took me aback. One single white bird flew by across the sky. It could have been a snow goose, although it was long with long wings. It flew alone. I am not sure what it was really. I do not believe in reincarnation, and I don’t believe that it was mom’s soul. However, if it was a sign for me or a messenger from God in the form of a bird, I am willing to accept that.

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One of my favorite movies is ‎Les Misérables. It is the story of a man given grace and forgiveness that turns his life toward helping others. At the end of the movie, he is dying, says his good bye to his daughter and son-in-law, his risen form walks toward the older man who first showed him mercy, and is greeted by a huge choir of friends who have also died. This is just a movie I know, but I watched this last scene over and over after mom died. I really believe that mom was greeted by a heavenly Choir for her to join in and start singing with them.
She loved to sing and she loved to sing in a choir.

The last line of Older Bishop in the movie is this. “To love another person is to see the face of God”

Thank you for loving us, Mom, and thank you, God, for giving us our Mother to love.