Finally Home...

Tonight at 9:20 p.m. (PST), my mother breathed her last earthly breath and went home to be with the Lord Jesus.

We were with her all day today as the hospice nurse had called this morning to tell us she was going to be leaving us today. We had just left (as we thought this was another false alarm) to go feed my dad and get Frank some birthday jeans at Target.

I knew today would be my mom's homegoing. I cannot tell you why...I just had this "feeling." My dad reminded me that I had told him this morning that I thought today would be the day. Perhaps that was God allowing me to get prepared.

There really needs to be a manuscript or code of conduct for how one should proceed immediately following the death of a beloved mother, sibling, husband, friend... And, I'm sure there is somewhere.

Tomorrow will be the hurrying and calling and preparing for the occasion for those who knew & loved my mom...to come and say their goodbyes. Pay their respects. I wonder if God allows the dearly departed to have a ring-side seat to their memorial service? I'm sure it doesn't even occur to the loved one to care at that point. They are in eternal bliss with the Lord God.

I know my momma is in heaven. I know she is finally at peace...joy....painfree...guiltfree....able to finally grasp deep truths she struggled for so long to understand. She is with Jesus! How amazing that must be!!!

I am sad. But, right now, I am mostly numb. I have so much to think about, plan and prepare...Frank warns me I will grieve hard later. And, that must be true.

Right now...I'm happy to think about where my mom is, Who she is with and what all she must be doing right now! I long to be with her. But, I believe God has other plans for now.

I'm okay with that.

Praise You God...for finally taking my momma home.

"For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. "
(2 Corinthians 5:1-8)