Good morning…
Last Saturday I shared our post We Memorize A Mother, highlighting for you the gorgeous memorial service for my friend’s mother, Caroline Gilham. Soon after our morning message was sent, I exchanged a life-giving string of texts. Now I share them with you.
“My friend Marscha died this morning,” a close friend wrote to inform me. “Finally, peace. She and her daughter were together to experience it. I am so grateful for the two weeks we spent together during her final days on earth, with family and friends all around, surrounding and celebrating. You are among them, Sue. Thank you for your prayers and heart-filled encouragement.”
“Wow,” I responded. “I love that you have been so present, so intimately connected to Marscha’s final season on earth. Did you read today’s post? I sense the song shared this morning is welcoming Marscha home.”
“I will read it now,” she replied. “I am sitting on the edge of Lake, Maxinkuckee in northern Indiana where my extended family has gathered. Listening to lapping water, also heaven sent.”
“God’s perfect timing amazes me. Another close friend shared news this morning that her beloved mother-in-law just went to heaven also, and my friend was so touched by this morning’s post. “How Great Thou Art” was her mother’s favorite hymn, and now her mom and her mother-in-law are singing it together in heaven, making harmony with your sweet friend Marscha. God astounds me. The thin veil between earth and heaven is open wide. God’s love oversteps bounds. I am with you in Spirit right now, my friend, me in Atlanta, you in Indiana, Marscha’s family in Florida, and now Marscha in heaven.”
Next she texted: “I am intrigued by the title of today’s post… Memorize A Mother. I like that better than memorialize. It reminds me that I haven’t lost my own mother. I memorized her during 91 years of love on this earth.”
To be honest, I thought I had typed in the word “Memorialize,” but the Spirit of God autocorrected the word, bringing to us the fresh blessing of “Memorize.” I admitted to my friend this mistake-turned-marvelous and wrote: “Oh. Love this Holy Spirit word change. You have memorized Marscha and your sweet mother for years. You have watched how they love. You have treasured how they make you feel. You have imprinted who they are onto who you are becoming. Such a beautiful life-long task, to memorize our loved ones. I am just thinking, ‘Might I craft our communications into a post?’ When we witness together the joys and the sorrows of life holding hands peacefully, we learn to trust God’s repeated whisper, ‘Do not be afraid.’ Wrapped in oneness with God, even at the end of our earthly life, we have absolutely nothing to fear.”
“Here is my last photo of Marscha, pictured as a butterfly, flying off into abundantly more. She enjoyed participating in my metaphor,” smiled my friend.
“Yes, of course, you can share our texts,” she graciously offered. “You have a beautiful way of saying what I am feeling…..”
“And visa versa,” I added. “It is God living, breathing, speaking between us. I marvel at the masterpiece being wonderfully woven.”
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (Ephesians 2:10, NLT).
…Sue…
