Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will no longer exist; because the previous things have passed away.
Revelation 21:3-4 HCSB
As many of you know, my mom went home to be with the Lord on May 1st. Today, my mom celebrates her 91st birthday. I didn’t say she would have celebrated her 91st birthday because today she is celebrating it with the Lord in heaven. You see my mom devoted her earthly life to serving the Lord.
She practiced her whole life to spend her days in glory praising and worshipping Him for eternity. Today my mom celebrates her birthday finally free from the ailments that Alzheimer’s brings. She can speak clearly. She can think clearly. She can once again sing praises to the Lord.
The selfish part of me wants my mom here. But my mom was always selfless when it came to us, her children, and her grandchildren. She always gave of herself to see that we had what we needed and wanted. So today, I have to be happy for her. I have to be grateful for the way she taught us to love the Lord and the legacy of love she left for us.
It saddens me to not be with my mom to celebrate this birthday with her, but I know she is where she has worked her whole life to be. I know she is in the loving arms of our Lord and Savior. I know she is with many loved ones that have gone before her and welcomed her home.
I know that she no longer is forced to deal with the pain and heartaches that we experience here on planet Earth. I know that any tears she ever shed have been wiped away and she will cry no more. I know that she will never again experience pain either physical or mental. So, for these things I am grateful.
What’s most important to me is I know I will see her again. I know that I will again celebrate her birthday with her. So, while I am missing her terribly today, I know she is in a much better place. I know she is celebrating with the Lord and many others who love her.
We all have loved ones that have gone on before us. Death is a part of life and there is nothing we can do about it. We will all experience it one day. But I ask you today, do you know beyond a doubt that when your time comes, you will go to heaven? Matthew 7:14 says, “How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” In Matthew 7:21, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.
When my mom left us for her heavenly home, I certainly wasn’t happy. It was a sad day, but I couldn’t help but rejoice for the healing she had found. I couldn’t help but be happy for her to finally be at home with her Savior whom she has loved and praised for as long as I have known her.
If you are not sure that you will make it to heaven to be with those you love who have gone before you, know that you can be sure. Simply surrender your life to Christ. Give it all over to Him.
While I may shed a tear today, I won’t be crying in heaven. I will be rejoicing and praising my Lord and Savior. I hope you will be there to join me.
Happy Birthday, Mom!