In Praise of God and Mother

Wednesday, August 29, 2007
IN PRAISE OF GOD AND MOTHER

Several years ago I had a dream in which I helped my mother in her transition from this life to the next life. In the dream I ushered her out of this dimension, and the angels of God met her and ushered her into the kingdom of God. In the dream the transition was peaceful, easy and full of the glory of God. In the dream, death was not a dreaded, sad thing, but was a glorious thing.On Wednesday, June 15th, 2005, the dream became a reality.Mother had been slightly ill off and on for a few months. It just seemed like her body was wearing out. She was 91 years old, but was still young in spirit. It was time for her to get her new spiritual body and join her Savior Jesus, her Heavenly Father and the rest of her family who had gone into eternity.In the dream that I had several years previously, I was holding my mother in my arms, singing to her, and she slipped away very peacefully. I woke from the dream all those years ago grieving very deeply, knowing that it wouldn't be very many years before the dream became a reality. I guess God knew it would take me several years to be prepared for the actual event.My mother was the epitome of the virtuous woman. She had unconditional love for everyone with whom she came in contact. Infinite wisdom was a gift which she shared with anyone who had a need for Godly wisdom. She loved to laugh, and laughed very readily at any and all jokes. She was a delight to be around.Several months before her death her health began to fade, but she continued to keep the positive attitude that she always wore like a jeweled crown.When she entered the hospital, it was apparent that the time for her glorious union with the heavenly hosts was about to occur. By the working of many miracles, God's great orchestration managed to have her transferred to a resident hospice facility in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. For two years previously to this, she and my dad had lived in a retirement apartment house in nearby Arlington, Texas. At the hospice hospital she was kept free of pain and she was comfortable in the beautiful surroundings.Through a series of further divine orchestrations, every family member in the vicinity was redirected from their own plans for the day and directed to go to the hospice facility to see Mother at the same time. Earthly plans were willingly scrapped for God's heavenly plans.At the hospice facility we individually told Mother about our deep love for her and our admiration of her virtues, all at different times in the early evening.The hospice facility provided a beautiful lounge area where the family convened to visit and rest. At God's appointed time, everyone was visiting in the lounge area, but I decided to stay with Mother in her beautiful room.I pulled a chair over to her bed and began to sing to her, just like in the dream several years ago. I didn't know what songs to sing, so I depended upon the songs the Holy Spirit brought to my mind. I was amazed and surprised that the song, �"You Are My Sunshine," came to mind. I began to sing it to her and she began to struggle less and less to breathe. I understood the reason for that song when I sang the words:"You are my sunshine,My only sunshine,You make me happy,When skies are gray,You'll never know, Dear,How much I love you,Please don't take my sunshine away.The other night, Dear, as I lay sleeping,I dreamed I held you in my arms,As I awoke, Dear, I was mistaken,So I hung my head and cried.You are my sunshine,My only sunshine.You make me happyWhen skies are gray.You'll never know, Dear,How much I love you,Please don't take my sunshine away." After I began singing the song, I finally understood the reason for the song, that it was a fulfillment of the prophetic dream that I had years ago.I sang the song over and over again as Mother continued to have frequent struggles for breath. Then the words to another old song came to my mind that I hadn't sung in fifty years, but I began singing it, not sure if I knew all of the words. God provided them. "This world is not my home, I'm just traveling through, My treasures are laid up, Somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me, From heaven's open door, And I won't feel at home In this world anymore. Oh, Lord, you knowI have no friend like you.If heaven's not my home, Then, Lord, what will I do? The angels beckon meFrom heaven's open door, And I won't feel at homeIn this world anymore." I sang that song over and over and over, stroking the beautiful face of my mother. After my singing the song many times, her peaceful body totally relaxed and she drew her last breath.What grace and mercy our Heavenly Father has that He would allow us to have a part in His orchestration for the final moments of Mother's life in the earth.Her exit from the earth occurred within sight of the hospital where my sister, Joy, died 34 years ago. Neither of those great ladies lived in Fort Worth, both of them having lived many hundreds of miles away. However, God, in His infinite grace, chose that venue for Mother to leave the earth, close to where her darling daughter Joy had died.After Mother's last breath, the rest of the family swarmed into the room with praises to God for allowing us to have known His love through Mother. Joining with the chaplain, we circled her bed and prayed prayers of thanksgiving for the life of this great lady.The youngest great grandson, nine months old at the time, too young to know what was going on, waved bye-bye into the air. We all know that he gave the parting gesture to Mother's spirit as she left this earth and entered into the place that God had prepared for her. Mother always wanted to witness for Jesus, but could never find the words. However, her life was a witness to the Unconditional Love of God. I'm writing this story to be the testimony that she always wanted to be able to give. It is Edna Louise Ryals Wieland's story about the greatness of God. Thanks you for listening to this love story.