The Passing of Jewel

Wanda · May 19, 2021, 02:58:00 PM

My mom Jewel, passed away peacefully in her sleep Tuesday evening, the day after her 92nd Birthday. God was merciful as I knew he would be.

Something totally unexpected happened though, she died with a smile on her face. She had been talking about the river for two days. We didn't understand what she meant, but sensed it had something to do with the Lord. Just before She passed she appeared to be asleep. She suddenly reached out to someone, with her arm extended out, with a look of pure peace and joy on her face. I will never forget that moment. I've heard of stories like this from others, but all I'm certain of, whatever she was experiencing there was a great deal of love involved.

After mom passed my sister said God had answered her only prayer. I had been telling her for some time mom would have a loving and peaceful death. She wanted to know how I could be so certain. Honestly, I just knew, and on a personal level I can understand how Abraham could be so trusting. But you should know, I had to go through quiet a bit to get to that place of knowing. it didn't come easy. Everything has a purpose for good in the end, and that is a most comforting thing to know.

I have nothing to mourn because his will has been done. The only tears I've shed are tears of joy, for the awesome wonder of our Lord, and his great mercy in my life. I am forever humbled and grateful God gave me this wonderful experience of being with my sweet mama in her last years. It healed something deeply broken in me.

Rene · May 19, 2021, 03:26:34 PM

Hi Wanda,

My heartfelt condolences to you and your family. Thank you for sharing this beautiful message.

Rene

Musterseed · May 19, 2021, 05:45:51 PM

I love your mama's name. It suited her well.
I feel like I knew her from our conversations
and she was very blessed to have you take care of her
during her last years and you were blessed to do so.

Our Lord God is good, praise be His holy name.
Jesus Christ , our Lord and Saviour.

May God be with you and your family Wanda.💕

In Christ, Pamela

HoneyLamb56 · May 20, 2021, 05:01:28 AM

My condolences Wanda; you were blessed to have been there with your mother. In a way she also brought peace to you and your family with whatever she was experiencing.

Diane

Rhys 🕊 · May 20, 2021, 05:45:17 AM

Thanks for being so open to sharing. It helps me as my relationship with God still not so good after losing my wife and still with physical and mental difficulties. My attitude with God at the moment is more of, oh well your going to do your will anyway so just get on with it. It sounds a bit negative but at least I know He is still in control and the way the world seems to be going right now I am glad of that. I hope I feel more peace and accepting of what is meant to be in the future.

Rhys

Wanda · May 20, 2021, 01:39:58 PM

Quote from: Rene on May 19, 2021, 03:26:34 PM
Hi Wanda,

My heartfelt condolences to you and your family. Thank you for sharing this beautiful message.

Rene

Thank you Rene!

What a better way to speak to the love of God than by sharing our own loving experiences with others. They are all a gift from the God of love.

Wanda · May 20, 2021, 01:41:42 PM

Quote from: Musterseed on May 19, 2021, 05:45:51 PM
I love your mama's name. It suited her well.
I feel like I knew her from our conversations
and she was very blessed to have you take care of her
during her last years and you were blessed to do so.

Our Lord God is good, praise be His holy name.
Jesus Christ , our Lord and Saviour.

May God be with you and your family Wanda.💕

In Christ, Pamela

Thank you Pamela.💕

Yes her name fit her well. Although it was not her given name at birth. Interestingly her name was Ruth Naomi.🙂 Her grandmother used to call her, "my little Jewel" and it stuck. Mom later petitioned for it to become one of her legal names.

Wanda · May 20, 2021, 01:43:19 PM

Quote from: Rhys on May 20, 2021, 05:45:17 AM
Thanks for being so open to sharing. It helps me as my relationship with God still not so good after losing my wife and still with physical and mental difficulties. My attitude with God at the moment is more of, oh well your going to do your will anyway so just get on with it. It sounds a bit negative but at least I know He is still in control and the way the world seems to be going right now I am glad of that. I hope I feel more peace and accepting of what is meant to be in the future.

Rhys

Hi Rhys,
it's not hard to imagine how you're feeling. I recall Ray talking about why Adam ate the fruit Eve offered him. I'm paraphrasing... Although the serpent deceived Eve, Adam was not deceived and ate the fruit because he didn't want to live without his wife. From my experience, men who lose their wives struggle to deal with such a huge and terrible loss.

All I know, from first learning God saves all to where I am now, nothing was more profoundly life changing than learning to depend on God in every aspect of my life. A hard lesson for a complete control freak. My mom often called me her most stubborn child, and I'm sure God would agree. That change in me, was so obvious my sister was blown away and still is. Whatever any of us are struggling through there is a reason for it and something we are learning to overcome. As Ray said, being saved is the hardest thing any of us will ever go through.

Wanda · May 20, 2021, 01:47:25 PM

Quote from: HoneyLamb56 on May 20, 2021, 05:01:28 AM
My condolences Wanda; you were blessed to have been there with your mother. In a way she also brought peace to you and your family with whatever she was experiencing.

Diane

Thank you Diane,
It is obvious to me that this experience has blessed many in our family. It all fits so perfectly with the kind of women my mama was.

Wanda · May 20, 2021, 02:02:17 PM

From my earliest memories my mama was never a Church goer. She had little respect for the leaders nor many of the self proclaimed Christian's, but she did worship God. When thinking back to when she was talking about the river, it occurred to me when I was growing up she used to sing an old Church hyme she loved...We will Gather at the River. It was in reference to the anticipation of restoration and reward, and the water of life in Revelation 22

Revelation 22:1-2

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Considering my mom hadn't spoken a single word in five days when she suddenly started talking about the river, and the other things I witnessed shortly after, sure does give me reason to ponder what we witnessed. No matter, I consider it a gift of God's great love.

indianabob · May 25, 2021, 09:30:53 PM

Quote from: Wanda on May 20, 2021, 01:41:42 PM
Quote from: Musterseed on May 19, 2021, 05:45:51 PM
I love your mama's name. It suited her well.
I feel like I knew her from our conversations
and she was very blessed to have you take care of her
during her last years and you were blessed to do so.

Our Lord God is good, praise be His holy name.
Jesus Christ , our Lord and Saviour.

May God be with you and your family Wanda.💕

In Christ, Pamela

Thank you Pamela.💕

Yes her name fit her well. Although it was not her given name at birth. Interestingly her name was Ruth Naomi.🙂 Her grandmother used to call her, "my little Jewel" and it stuck. Mom later petitioned for it to become one of her legal names.

Hi Wanda,
Interesting also that your mom was named after two women who were in the ancestral line of Jesus. Naomi and her daughter Ruth who loved her and stayed with her to provide for her in her widowhood. Ruth 1:16

15 "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home." 16 But Ruth replied: "Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."...

Wanda · May 28, 2021, 03:04:55 PM

Thanks for your comment Bob. Something even more interesting, my grandmother, my mama's mother, took care of her mother-n-law after her husband abandoned his family.

indianabob · May 29, 2021, 08:42:21 AM

Yes, I have a feeling that many of us who are called have begun to realize that our calling was active long before we were aware of it.
The events in our lives and the lives of our ancestors have been guided in the direction that God ordained and are not just chance circumstances.
I like to keep in mind that the blessings I have received in this life are not unique to me. It is just that God has reserved the blessing for others to a later time in history or even after the resurrection.

Indiana Bob