John 14:1-4
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Thursday morning (March 8th) at 7:00, our phone rang. The nurse at my grandmother’s Assisted Living Facility told my husband that the aides went in to wake Mam-ma Polly for breakfast and found her unresponsive. We quickly dressed and rush to the facility, where she lay with her eyes shut…breathing heavily. I had suspected for a few days she might be developing pneumonia, but upon examination, the Hospice nurse felt certain that she had suffered a stroke. It did not look good.
We sat all day Thursday and through the night… into Friday morning. Many came and went, and all told her how much she was loved. Some told her “Good-bye” … that her heavenly home would be ready soon. Indeed, a group of men and women came to play gospel music for the residents, and they dedicated “Heaven Is My Home” to Mrs. Polly… then followed it with “I’ll Fly Away.”
The Hospice nurses encouraged me to talk to Mam-ma, to gently encourage her to let go and “fly away” to Jesus. During the day on Thursday, I read scripture passages to her from her own Bible… many she had marked in some way, underlined, or noted in the margins. One of the passages I read to her from the King James Version – her personal favorite – was John 14:1-4…
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
I talked to my grandmother about heaven… about all who waited there… the glory of meeting Jesus face-to-face…the beauty of having a new, young, healthy body… no more pain or sorrow or tears. Sheer joy awaited in a mansion made especially for her. I sang an old hymn, “Softly and Tenderly,” which says in part… “See on the portals He’s waiting and watching… watching for you and for me. Come home… come home… ye, who are weary come home. Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling… calling, oh, sinner…come home.” And Friday night, my grandmother did exactly that. Jesus extended His arms and said, “Your mansion is ready… and she took His hand and went Home for good.”
I told Mam-ma over and again, “We’ll be along after you soon. We’ll see you again. We’re coming, too… just not yet.” I believe that completely. I look forward to the day when my mansion is ready and I can truly see the face of Jesus. Meanwhile, I know I have work to do here. My grandmother gave me an incredible example in 100 years, 123 days of how it’s done…how to live for Jesus and put Him first… how to serve others and love them with grace, mercy and forgiveness… and how to never stop living and fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. As I have prepared for her funeral and read countless messages and memories from those who knew and loved her, I am sure that she found God’s will and purpose for her life and fulfilled it. I pray that I can be a good servant and model her faith. I pray that you are working on your mansion, as well.
I know it’s been a couple of days since I posted a devotional… and now you know why. I pray that God will bless and keep you… and that He will give me strength, courage and wisdom as I resume these writings in the next few days. Love others more than yourself… figure out God’s purpose for your life – and fulfill it… and live well on this earth in preparation for your Heavenly mansion. God bless and keep you…until you fly away Home.
©2013 Debbie Robus
John 16:22
You are now very sad. But later I will see you, and you will be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A dear sweet lady who attended my church passed away this week. Ms. Gene was 93 years young. I mentioned her passing to my cousin, who knew her even better than I, and she said, “It’s sad, but she’s missed her husband, Leo, long enough. Every time she spoke it seemed she had something to say about Leo… 'Leo Gray always said…' or some other reference to him." My cousin said, “It's time she was with him again.” And truly, I was not sad that Ms. Gene has gone to heaven as much as I was sad that we will miss this spunky little lady here on earth. I know that Ms. Gene and others who have gone to heaven would not change things and return to this earth for anything. As much as I miss my loved ones who have passed, I wouldn’t begin to ask them to return… and they would not oblige anyway! And nothing I could say or do would change their minds.
Here’s the lesson in today’s passage… and it’s not about heaven, really. Or maybe it is, to some degree. See, I think we should be living in such a way now that we don’t have to get to heaven to know the glory that awaits us there. I know that my thoughts about this earth will change when I am finally at the feet of Jesus. But I think the real change ought to take place NOW! I ought to live on this earth like I’m already at Jesus’ feet.
Oh, sure… heaven will be much more wonderful. Things will be different there. But so much of what God offers us, we put on a shelf and “save” for when we get to heaven. There is so much that we could be enjoying and experiencing now, if we would only open our hearts and minds to the possibilities.
There will be moments of sadness in all of our lives… but they don’t have to last. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to see Jesus… at least not totally. He is evident everywhere we look. His Holy Spirit can dwell in our hearts and everything we say and do can be permeated by His influence. We can change the way we feel today and experience all the joy He desires for us on this earth. It may not be as good as heaven (and most assuredly, it’s not!), but it can be pretty great if we’ll let Him have control.
This is sort of like the person who saves their good pajamas “in case I have to go to the hospital,” or someone who puts away nicer clothes for a special occasion… and that occasion rarely, if ever, happens. Nice clothes don’t do you any good in the closet or drawers… and saving your joy in Christ for heaven won’t help you in this lifetime. Start living fully – change your heart and mind and let the Holy Spirit fill you from the inside out… and be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel today. Heaven will be better… but with God in control, life on this earth can be pretty good, too!
©2011 Debbie Robus
