A New Jerusalem

 “Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.’ The One who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’” (Revelation 21:1-5)

I love this passage from Revelation. We chose it for my mother’s funeral. It is a promise of hope. There will come a time when there will be no more tears, no more death, and no more pain. But in the meantime, we are reminded that God dwells among us and will always be with us. My mom’s birthday was on April 25^th and it is always a hard day. She has been on my heart a lot these past few days. During his homily today the priest was speaking about the gospel and spoke about when Jesus said,  my children, I will be with you only a little while longer. I say to you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. The priest said that it reminds him of a parent who is dying and gathers his children around him. He tells the children to stay together, to be there for one another and to love one another. Don’t let anything tear the family apart.

The ten days before my mother died, we gathered in my parents’ home. The hospital bed was set up in the den and we placed my mom in the bed on September 6^th and she remained there until she died on the 16^th. My siblings and my dad gathered around the bed and cared for her around the clock. We took turns feeding her, turning her, bathing her, comforting her, praying with her and so many other things during those moments that we will always cherish. My mother hated hospitals and to allow her to die at home was pure gift. In the past it wasn’t always peaceful between my siblings and me but something miraculous happened. During those 10 days we drew closer and closer together. Often times that kind of stress can tear families apart, but for us it drew us together. Even though we were exhausted, oftentimes overwhelmed with watching our mother suffer, we also found strength in one another. There was a peace in my parents’ home which had never been there before. And since our mother’s death we have remained close. There have been many trials since, we almost lost our brother Scott who was in a diabetic coma, but we have continued to draw strength from one another and from our Lord and Savior. He has dwelt among us through all of life, our joys as well as our deepest sorrows. And we keep our eyes turned toward heaven, waiting for the New Jerusalem to come down from heaven and allow God to make all things new.