Early Morning

Early this morning, around two a.m. I found myself unable to sleep.  Thoughts of my mother kept me  awake for I talked to her today.  Like most phone calls she starts out telling me her ailments, about the ones who died recently in the nursing home, who had visited her this Sunday.  Then her mind slipped a little and she started talking about her past roommate who died about three months ago.  She kept saying,  she is better off,  all of us in here would be better off if God took us home, we're not much use for anything.  Those phone calls always leave me sad and well, up late looking for some comfort through songs that sing the hope God provided for those who believe.  I think of a  time years ago, 1985, when my mother and mother in law came to watch our children while I had some needed surgery.  Our church was having a revival with Tim Lee, a Vietnam vet who lost his legs in the war and promised God if He would save his live he would preach the gospel till he died.   My husband took my mother, his mother and the children to church.  I don't even know what he preach on but I knew he would present the gospel and give an old fashioned invitation to those who wanted to know more about getting saved to come forward where someone would meet them and explain what the Bible said about salvation.  

After they return from the revival my mother called me,  right away she told me  she had got saved and was baptized too.  She told me the ladies name who let her through the Roman's road right to the Savior.  And then she repeated, I got baptized too.  If you knew my mother you would know she was scared of having her face put under water for she almost drowned when she was young.  I said, Mom were you scared, no she replied. 

Now she is down to her last years here on earth, she is 87, frail, wheelchair bound, pretty forgetful, but she remembers the night she met the Savior.  I was just with her a week before Mother Day, rolled her out those nursing home doors one sunny day to the Dairy Queen across the street to have a fish sandwich.  A few days later took her for a car ride, drove through the drive through of McDonald's, got us another  fish sandwich and  drove  to the park where we had a picnic in the car with all the  windows rolled down.   Drove her around the country where she use to live, stop a few places and had folks come to the car to say hello.  After about two hours she was wore out so I returned her to the nursing home.  I left sad and as always a little depressed.  After hearing her voice on the phone today I knew it was going to be a long night. Grief always move into my heart when it comes to my mother.  I wish I could roll back the time to when she could walk, drive a car, go fishing at the pond,  fry up the caught fish , and drive me around.   Can't,  so I cling to the old rugged cross knowing  someday God will call her home.  She will leave that wheelchair behind and walk those streets of gold on new strong legs all because she believed what took place on Mt. Calvary. 

                  I wonder what comforts your heart when it's heavy?