For my friend as she enters the Kingdom of God.

What are you praying for?

I just read a note from a friend’s daughter. “Mom is moving to hospice tomorrow.” Several face book replies were”Praying” or “Prayers”

I have to wonder, what are you praying?

My friend is dying; her body will soon be leaving this earth. Her spirit will live on forever. Soon and Very Soon she will go to see the King, as the old song goes. Soon and Very soon she will hurt no more, cry no more, worry no more. Soon she will walk on streets of Gold and be dressed in robes of white. Are you praying to keep her here? Soon she will be in the presence of God and know Love as that she couldn’t have imagined.
Soon.

I visited her yesterday; I do believe she knew I was there. Each time she had been in the hospital she asked for me to come. Not because I was some spiritual guru, but we had been connected for thirty years. Her first Sunday in church then was met with a prayer request for me. I lie in a hospital bed unable top move, surgery scheduled for the next day to remove a shattered disc. As prayer was offered, in her mind or heart- I don’t know which, she saw something move. She knew I was healed. Each time we spoke since she reminded me of Gods faithfulness shown in what she had seen. Each time I questioned because It didn’t make sense to me. But that’s not important, it made sense to her. Period.

We never spent a lot of time together. Thirty years could be measured back in several hours. But for my part, it was always nice to catch up.

I am challenged by her desire to take classes at DBU, to learn design and editing and page making. She was in her fifties and she went back to school! How cool was that. When they warned her she was missing too many classes she replied she didn’t care. She was learning and doing what she loved. Often times from her bed because she couldn’t breathe.

What are you praying for?

Her life wasn’t perfect, in many ways she was better than most. Her love for others was amazing. Another friend says, “I walk, I fall down. I pick myself up and walk again.” I dont know how many times my friend fell down but I do know this, She always kept walking, even when it was painful.

What are you praying for?

She was exuberant when ever she talked of her kids or grandkids. Her face would light up and a smile was cast around the room. Her voice stepped up a notch or two. Oh how she loved them so. Now, they are hurting, badly.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. There is a time to live and there is time to die. That’s what the good book says. Psalm 62 also says, “Twice I have heard this said, that Power belongs to You Oh God. But likewise does mercy.

God has chosen to not use His power to raise my friend from the bed. He regularly helped her through each day of her life, providing for her and her children. Watching over her in times of Crisis. Holding her closely when it was just the two of them, alone and together. So close that as she awakes in heaven she will say excitedly, “Oh, THIS is how I remember it!”

I pray that I will have your exuberance for live and love for others that you had, and can face this passing to the next with the courage you have shown.

I will miss you my friend.