Posted by I’m getting those feelings again. I call it “feeling emotional”. I think it’s because of the season. This time last year I was debating even celebrating Thanksgiving, because Mama was doing so poorly. She passed on just a couple weeks later, on December 12th.
I was reading in Isaiah today, and I noticed in chapter 61, a description that fits these feelings well…”the spirit of heaviness.” It is a heaviness on my heart, a closeness to tears, a mourning.
It’s a time of missing Mom. Of realizing that last year was the last Thanksgiving we had together, after a lifetime of sharing the sweet joys of it. And this Christmas will be the second Christmas without her. But last year, the holiday came so quickly after her passing that there was still some numbness and shock as I wrapped gifts and prepared.
I wonder what this year will be like.
And I read this sixty first chapter of Isaiah over again. Especially the verses I have underlined. And they say that Jesus came to comfort and console all who mourn… to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…that He may be glorified.
I know that Jesus came to save us from our sins. He took the punishment for all that stands between us and God, so that all who believe in Him and trust in Him can be forgiven and live with Him forever. And I’m so grateful! Especially because I know I will see Mama again and spend eternity with her!
But He also came to comfort and console all those who mourn! He knows that mourning is heartbreaking. He knows us! And He cares and He loves us!
Maybe the comfort and joy is just knowing that this is not the end. That those who trust Him will have an eternity with Him. That believers who pass are instantly in His presence. And these are priceless comforts for sure!
But these verses say even more to me. They give me a picture of Jesus with His arms open wide. I see Him hugging me close with compassion. I sense Him whispering, I will be with you in this time of mourning. Trust Me. Run to Me. Weep on My shoulders. I will bring beauty out of these ashes. I will turn the weight of these emotions into praise.
I remember how hard it was walking through Alzheimer’s with Mom. And how often I would tell myself, This is hard. But God will give me grace. And He did, even through the tears and pain.
And now Jesus is walking me through this season of mourning. I picture Him lifting my chin gently and looking into my eyes. I sense Him saying, I know this is hard. I understand. But I am with you. I will give you grace. I will never leave you.
And I believe Him.
It was just about this time last year, that Mama had a very bad night. We thought she was dying. We were crying and praying and calling hospice. And then she came out of it and seemed normal for her again. And we sighed and smiled with relief.
The next morning my daughter was taking care of her, when Mama said, “God is here.”
“Yes, Grandma. God is here.”
And Mom added, “He is bigger.”
Mom was barely talking at all at that point. And though she had a solid faith when her mind was strong, she was never one to speak often about God. So it especially stood out to us that she said this.
And we wondered if she’d seen an angel, or God even. Or if just the nearness of death had made His presence more real to her.
I’m not sure what she saw, if anything. But I know that it’s true. God is here. He is with us. And He is bigger.
He is bigger than Alzheimer’s. He is bigger than death. He is bigger than mourning and grief and the missing. He is bigger than emotions and heaviness and broken hearts.
I can give it all to Him. I can trust Him to somehow bring beauty out of the ashes and pain and grief of it all.
He’s not telling me to stop crying or to stop feeling what I’m feeling. He’s reminding me to trust Him with it all. To remember that He is near. To know that He is the God of all comfort and the Shepherd that restores my soul. He is with me through this valley of shadows.
And I recall the last hymn that Mama remembered how to sing. She sang it often, and a little “warbly” and out of tune…
...What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear…what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer…
Thank you for leaving me with that hymn, Mama. And thank You, Jesus, for being that Friend.
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God's Grace and Life's Challenges 
Thank you for sharing your feelings.
Thank you for your encouraging comment!
Cheryl: I think this is one of the best blogs of your journey! Maybe it is because your mourning for Mama and mine for Mummer have been so similar. It has been 13 + months for me. I have not been able to write in my blog since her 94th birthday! The Lord has used you in a great way!
Thank you so much for the encouragement, megs! I’m so sorry for your loss. We are on challenging journeys, but we are not alone. May God give you comfort and grace, and I hope you will write again soon!
Today I “celebrate” the third anniversary of my mother’s home going. I had cared for my mother through her years with Parkinson Disease. She was 90 when God called her home. I was the strong one in my family of six siblings, the one that got things taken care of. Though I hated losing my mother, there weren’t many tears there was so much to get done. A year later I received a call from the wonderful Chaplin of the Hospice that had cared found mother. That day, God let my grief and my tears flow. But, He was with me, with His arms around me, comforting me. Thank you for your beautiful words. Three years, and I still miss my mother; but, as you say, we will be together some day for eternity.
I’m so sorry for your loss. It sounds like you were a tremendous blessing to your mother and family. I’m glad you got that call and had your time to weep. And what a precious grace to know that God was with you and comforting you. And the sweetest comfort is knowing our mothers are at peace with Jesus and we will be with them again. May God give you grace until that day. ~Cheryl
God is using you in a mighty way! Every single word you just shared….perfect timing! I had asked Jesus to come and take momma those last few hours of her life, (I just realized it is one month tomorrow) and I was so thankful that He heard me. There is an easement of the mourning because we are believers. What I hadn’t thought about was how He is here to comfort me too. I KNOW He is always with me, and I KNOW He came for momma, I just had not processed that thought until now, that you are right! He is holding me as I break down when an unexpected picture of mom pops up on my computer, when I walk by the phone and realize I can’t call her, and late at night when I just have a hard time believing she has gone HOME. I am missing her, but I know that we will be spending eternity together some day. I also have been telling my kids….Grandma loved life and lived it fully and loudly, and with JOY! She would want there to be celebrations, family time, card playing, decorating for Christmas, and a really good meal for Thanksgiving! We are going to do those things. Cheryl, I pray that you also, will take those traditions of your family, and joys, and celebrations and live them out LOUD!………Trading those ashes for Beauty, and anointing them with JOY! Have a Blessed Thanksgiving~Tammy
I’m so sorry for your loss, Tammy. And I’m grateful for your sweet words of encouragement! And I love your vision for celebrating the holidays out loud and with joy! May God make it so for you! Blessings~Cheryl
Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time of year. My Dad had a heart attack on Christmas Eve 2010 and died a week later, 5 days into the new year!!!! Christmas Eve was always a hard emotional time for me and now it’s even harder!!! I don’t even like putting up a Christmas tree anymore, but we try to be festive for the sake of the grandchildren!!!! We are healing but will never get over it!!!!