Not goodbye...See you Later

Mike and I had the privilege and honor to be by his mom's side for the last 24 hours of her life. She died on Friday night at 8:16.

There were many in her family there... holding her, loving her, singing, praying, reading scriptures, crying, laughing and waiting for her to go home to Jesus.
Death is not a pretty thing, it is traumatizing and sorrowful for us...but for Linda, for Mom, it is a journey of the soul separating from the body- into eternity.

As she traveled somewhere between here and the sky, we stayed keeping vigil around her; she was never alone. I have often wondered what is happening to the soul, as it begins its journey, watching the body, as it writhes, and fights, moans and groans and holds on to every last ounce it has left.  The bible tells us that the spirit intercedes for us with groanings, that words cannot express.

As she took her last breaths, I was so overcome with the spirit of God...He was in that room.   I Could not contain it, I was crying and praying and Mike pulled me closer, and we were both holding Linda's hand and, and as my eyes were closed I saw Mark, her husband, with the Glory of God on his face, just beaming, and then I saw Aunt Ruth and Aunt Luella, with the Glory of God on their faces, they were in a cloud, and they were just beaming and smiling and waving for her to keep coming up to them, like she was in the final lap of a race, they were saying "Come on up, you are almost here...", then at that moment, she squeezed our hands so hard, and took her final breaths.  I could not believe that she squeezed our hands, she had not moved her body or said a word in 10 hours.

In that moment, all sense of reason leaves you.  I grabbed her face and held her and sobbed and wailed and kissed her.  I could not contain the Love inside of me for her, the very love and acceptance that she had given to me through the years, it just poured out of me for her.  Mike held me, and we sobbed and grieved the loss of his mom.

On our way home, Mike shared with me, that he too had had a vision while she was taking her last breaths.  He said that in those final moments, he saw his father, Mark in a field holding out his hand to Linda,  and he saw her running to him with her arms open, and Mike said that just as he saw her grab Mark's hand, that that was the exact moment that she squeezed our hands and took her final breaths.

God is so good to comfort us and show us spiritual things in those final moments.  As we told our precious children, and as Mike shared what the Lord showed us, he could hardly get the words out, but we felt so privileged and honored to be there, and to see with Spirit eyes what the Lord wants us to focus on.

Calli and Aidan, are very grief-stricken, and have a hard time making sense of any of this.  But God gave us something precious to remember, to share with our children, with you...He is real.  Heaven is real.  There are many saints waiting for us up there, cheering and urging us on to fight the good fight, to keep running till your final lap- and then they will come and meet you in the sky, and Jesus sends us comfort as only He can do-

2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7

 ³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. ⁴ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. ⁵ For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. ⁶ Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. ⁷ We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

So we say so long Mom, Grandmom, we will see you later, and we will meet you in the sky!

On Saturday, March 3, at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church, in Blooming Glen, PA there will be a viewing from 8:30am-10:30am and then the service will be at 11:00am, where there will be a time of sharing and reflecting upon her life.  Burial will follow.

Mom and dad LOVED the Isaacs- and Love lifted me, is a song that I sang with her several times in the last weeks, and at her bedside while she was moving on.

Please enjoy!  Rejoice!