Music to My Ears

This past Sunday we celebrated Easter. This is my favorite holiday of the whole year and the first time our mom was not able to attend Easter service. Our caretaker, Penny, had off so I went to the "Sonrise" service at my church, ate breakfast afterward (which was prepared and served by the youth group...thanks, Rachel) and came home to be with mom so John could go to his church.

A soloist sang a beautiful medley of hymns including A Mighty Fortress is Our God, Rock of Ages, Victory in Jesus, and Because He Lives. I found myself fighting back the tears as I sat and listened to her as these are the very songs that we've been singing to mom over these past months. They bring her comfort as nothing else can. TV can no longer hold her attention and too many people around only bring confusion not comfort.

Mom continues to grow weaker and over this past week her skin has lost the healthy color it once had. All we can do is offer her a drink, sing to her, hold her hand, and rub her back or her feet. We try to make the most of our visits with her and let her rest.

I think of the sorrow and heartbreak that was felt by those who were close to Jesus when He died. They were crushed. They did not understand that God would raise Him from the dead and conquer death.

Matt 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.

Then I think of the joy they felt when they saw Him that first "Easter" morning.

John 20:30-31 In his disciples' presence Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book. But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in him you may have life.

We, too, have heavy hearts as we watch our mom go through this and prepare to say goodbye, yet, there is great comfort and joy in knowing that we will spend eternity with her...not because she has led a good life...not because she was kind or generous...not because her good outweighed her bad. We will spend eternity with her because of what Christ accomplished so long ago. He not only died for her sin and the sin of the world...He conquered death and therefore we can sing, Because He Lives and Victory in Jesus!