This past Monday my mom had heart surgery.  The surgery went well, but an hour later for an unknown reason her heart stopped.  The doctors kept her going for a couple of days, but on Wednesday afternoon when they unplugged the ECMO machine that was acting as her lungs and heart—she quickly, quietly and peacefully went to her heavenly home.

If my mom had been in the Salvation Army (instead a long time Nazarene) they would have said, “She was promoted to glory.” She is in heaven!

I don’t know everything there is to know about heaven.  The old song we used to sing said, “When we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be.”  I think that’s true.  Here’s what else I know:

My mom exchanged…

• The potholed lined streets of Detroit for the Golden Boulevards of Heaven
• A two bedroom condo in Plymouth, Michigan for a mansion in Glory.
• A slight fear of water (she never learned to swim) to cannonballing in the Crystal Sea.
• The daily missing my dad (who went to heaven nearly five years ago) to a grand reunion  (no doubt including Neapolitan Ice Cream in the Welcome Home reception)

And best of all…

• She is no longer simply singing about Jesus at the Plymouth Church of the Nazarene—now she is SEEING Jesus.  Her faith is now sight.  She has heard those most wonderful words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”

We Christians have a different view of life and death than non-Christians.  Death is not the end. My good byes yesterday afternoon at 3:09 in room 548 in the Cardio ICU at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit were not the final words.  I believe Paul’s words to the Thessalonians are true when he wrote:  Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)

All this to say, “Thank you to everyone who offered prayers for my family and me.”  We know the Lord has been with us.  And now– Mama is with Jesus.  She is rejoicing. Who can be terribly sad about that?   We have the hope that we will see her and all the saints who have gone on before us!  Great is His faithfulness!