A Sad but Joyous Day

Some of you know, but many of you do not that my mother has been very ill with an undiagnosed neurological disorder for many years. She has been in residential care for almost 19 years. For the most part she has been healthy but unresponsive. On Saturday I received a call that she was being taken to the hospital with a high fever. They started treating her for a severe infection in her bladder. I stopped by to see her on my way home from a Moms retreat I helped with that was in Malibu. She was not doing well by the time I got there. I was able to hold her hand for the first time in many years and pray for her and with her for about 15 minutes. At that time I told her that I love her and thought it was a good time to go and be with Jesus. At about midnight I got a call from the doctor saying they thought that the infection most likely had spread to her blood and her prognosis was poor. God in his grace finally gave my mother release from the chains of disease Monday morning. It is a sad but wonderful day as she is now at home with Jesus and celebrating the feast of the Lamb with her parents once again. It was not an unexpected day, but it has still been difficult. I covet your thoughts and prayers as my family will soon gather for a memorial service that is a long time in coming. The memorial service will be next Thursday January 25th at Bethany Lutheran Church in Long Beach. We have asked that memorials be given to the Bethany Student Success Program. My mother was a Lutheran Educator for years and she always had time to help kids. Please pray for safe travel for the members of my family as they travel in the coming days. Thank you for all of the support you have given my family already. We have been uplifted in ways you can never know.