Friday morning June 17, 2011 at about 8:00 a.m., Mema Hazel Marie Darnall Sutherland moved out of her nearly 92 year old "house". This week has been bittersweet because we have watched her mental and physical health slowly deteriorate over the last few years and know her body and spirit were weary, but we will miss her in many ways.
I appreciate these words from the Holy Spirit -
"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal home in heaven not built with human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked."
"Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come." 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 NIV
Mom and Dad were married 53+ years and nearly all of those years they lived in three houses, all built by my Dad with help from a few friends and his son-in-law. He built the first house they ever owned, where my two siblings and I were born and reared. Over the years he built two others including the one the Rose and I have been living in with my Mom since 2006. Mom loved this house and filled it with many, memories and momentos of their life together after all the kids had left the nest to go their own way.
She has now been relieved of her "groaning" and sings her joy in a very different choir. Her 91+ years on this earth were a blessing to all who knew her because she loved everyone and always sought to serve - her family most of all. She was a strong lady who never gossiped, never complained and almost never spoke in anger. She was a nurturer of all whose lives she touched. Her faith and her family were her life.
Now, she is looking forward to getting settled into a new house, an eternal house, built by God, her true Father. We will miss her, but only for a short time.
"When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming." 2 Corinthians 5:8 MSG
HALLELLUJAH!
No comments:
Post a Comment