If you lost a loved one.

 IF YOU LOST A LOVED ONE...

On this day, eight years ago, my mother passed away.

I still remember those very difficult days.

I was out of the country, leading a pilgrimage, when my sister called.

“Mom is critical,” she said.

I learned she was--between conscious and unconscious--calling my name.

I cut short my trip and flew home right away.

When I arrived, I saw my mother’s limp body lying in bed, hardly conscious. 

I held her hand, bent down, and whispered to her ear, “Your favorite son is here... (Note: I’m her only son.)  I love you, Mom.  I love you very much.”

Though she remained motionless, I sensed in my heart that she heard me and was happy.

I also felt she was just waiting for me.

True enough, a few hours later, she slipped into Eternity.

Months before this, Mom had an accident.

She fell in her room and broke her hip.

And as a family, we stormed Heaven.

“Lord, please heal our mother!”

We prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed.

But God didn’t agree with our prayers.

He had other plans.

(It’s so frustrating when this happens.)

Instead of healing her, He was relocating her to serve in another “place”.

I wanted her to live longer.  

“Extend her life, Lord!”

But when I saw her on that day she “relocated”, I knew in my spirit that God was taking her home.

I prayed, “Lord, I surrender my mom to You.”

It was painful, but I also knew this powerful Truth: 

GOD LOVED HER MORE THAN I COULD EVER LOVE HER.

A kajillion times more.

I meditated on this picture: 

My sisters and I loved our mother so much.

But if you put all our love together, it would be just a drop in the bucket compared to God’s love for Mom, which would be all the oceans of all planets of all the universes, put together.

And we must be honest.

Sometimes, our “love” can actually be selfish.

We just want our loved one to keep on living FOR OUR SAKE.

Not only that, God is wiser.

We can’t see the future.

Heck, we don’t even know what will happen 2 seconds from now.

But God sees what will happen a billion years from now.

So He knows what was best for my mother.

If you’ve lost a friend or family member, I invite you to pray with me:

“Lord, I surrender (Name) to you.

Thank you for the years you allowed (Name) to be in my life.

Thank you for all that we shared together.

Today, I entrust (Name) into Your arms.

I surrender (Name) into Your perfect Love.

One day, I believe I will see (Name) again.

In the meantime, I will serve You and live for you for the rest of my life.

In Jesus name.  Amen.”