Her Farewell Tour Came to an End

Her Farewell Tour Came to an End

A Farewell Tour is what musical artists call it when they are retiring from the business. And, we might say that’s what Mom did when she bid us adieu on October 15th. I’ve given my readers a picture of what a Farewell Tour looks like for a nearly 100 year-old (just two weeks shy). She was ready to check out. And thanks be to God for checking her out.

She was ready, and so were we. Our hearts had ached with hers when she would cry out to God “Lord, PLEASE, let me go home!”

Finally, Mom peacefully went to her heavenly home…..where she belonged. God loved her so much — it was time for her to receive the grandest rewards that she deserved. I knew she had a glimpse of heaven. With all the love we had and have for her, how could we possibly keep her here one minute longer? She earned this. She deserved this.

Yes, there were tears, as with any close family member or friend who is leaving our presence for a while, yet also tears of joy, knowing pain is over and we’ll be together again one day. We gave her words that we knew the Father was saying to her: ”Well done, good and faithful servant…enter now into the joys of the Lord!” Matthew 25:23.

Did we “lose” her? No, we know where she is! She is not lost. She is in the arms of Jesus and as St. Paul said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…and finally a crown of righteousness awaits me (2 Timothy 4:7,8).

Yesterday, we saw “the glove” in the coffin. That’s what I taught children (and adults) about our body and spirit. We can put on a glove and wiggle our fingers in the glove and talk about how our hand is making the glove move. Then, when we take our hand out of the glove and just let it lay on the table, we can see how it no longer moves. Glove back on, it moves again.

Our hand represents our spirit, and the glove represents our body. When we were born, we were body and spirit. Because our body can move, it’s because we have a spirit inside of our body.

When we die, our spirits leave the body (take the glove off) and they go to Jesus and our body stays on earth (place the glove on the floor). We knew that Mom’s body we saw in the casket was her “glove”. Mom/Granny/Lydia are not there. Her spirit is in heavenly bliss.

I expected to shed a few tears when we saw Mom in the viewing room, but as we walked in, the first words I thought, “This is not Mom! She is not here!” All I saw was that glove (her earth suit) that she had lived in, and it was not her any longer.

Those who stopped by for the visitation yesterday expressed love and condolences. They saw a family that had been undergirded, wrapped in, and bathed in God’s peace — the presence of God was there in that room. There was joy and laughter — no sorrow — no mourning. We really were at peace. As Psalms 16:11 states, “In Your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”

The celebration indeed was underway — in our lives, our hearts, and our spirits. We are ever grateful for all the tributes, words of encouragement, the virtual hugs, and meaningful messages from those who knew Mom as children in her Sunday School class, those who witnessed her love and devotion to not only her own family, but to them and their families.

And for those who weren’t acquainted with Mom, but us, the family, and friends, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers, your love and support. Now…..let’s get on with living our lives with eternity in our hearts and gusto and joy as long as we live on this side of eternity and giving it our best selves!