Learning How To Die

My mom, like most mothers, has taught me many things over the years.  It is just what moms do.  Most of the lessons I have learned have come simply from life experiences, the day-to-day business of life.  By observing how my mother handles the ups, downs, twists, and turns of life, I have learned a lot about her character, strength, and most importantly faith in Christ.  

When I was a small child, each experience of every day, like it or not, was a teaching moment.  My mom taught me that quantity, not just quality time together mattered.  By devoting herself to her family, she taught me that she was a reliable, steady hand, and could be counted on to be there.  She also stressed the importance of doing the right thing, being honest, keeping promises and commitments, and doing well in school. 

As an adolescent, when life got trickier and emotions ran high, she taught me about things that really mattered.  She was able to do this by example, with ease.  My mom was never one to care what anyone thought about her.  She said it and she meant it.  She prayed devoutly, did not care a lick about possessions or things of this world, and knew that God was in control always.  She taught me about simplicity and pure love.  She would explain that situations in life come and go, but that God is always with us, looking out for His children.  

During my college and early adult years, my mom stood back and as heartbreaking as is probably was at times, let me make my own decisions and deal with the consequences of my actions.  She was a devoted parent who would make her unconditional and selfless love always known, but who also knew that part of her job was finished.  She did not try to hang on too long or live vicariously through her children.  She would always be my mother, but it was now time for her baby to walk on her own.  

The latest and most amazing lesson my mom is teaching me is how to die.  I can honestly say that my mom has and continues to handle her imminent death 100% graciously and selflessly. Even when doctors have misdiagnosed and surgeons have made major mistakes, she is able to realize that she is under the loving protection of our Father.  I have never once heard her say, "Why me?" or "Only if..." because she knows.  She knows that just as Matthew 6:27 says, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" that she cannot alter, change, or make other arrangements than those made by God, before the beginning of time.   My mom trusts her Father and she knows that just as God ordained the exact moment for her to be enter this world, He is ordaining the perfect time for her to come home.  

While most people spend a good deal of time trying to preserve the flesh, my mom has always modeled the importance of preparing the soul.  If what the Bible says is true, and I believe wholeheartedly it is, my mom will not miss a beat as she enters God's eternal kingdom.  She will go straight to God's glorious kingdom and meet Jesus face to face.  

When the hour soon arrives for God to bring His daughter home, she will be greeted with a, "Well done good and faithful servant!" and while my flesh will weep and my heart will grieve, my soul will be rejoicing for her homecoming.  After years of battling cancer, enduring treatments, and dealing with so many unknowns, she will finally be home, finally free. 

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