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June 6, 1944 was a remarkable day. A Day of Valor, courage, cowardice, death, injury fear and faith. It was of course much more than that! For Nazi Germany it was the beginning of the end. There are some days which are forever seared in the memory of us all. June 6, 2023 has become such a day for me. It was the day when I and my sister Marilyn and members of her family and mine watched our mom, their grandma, take her last breath. It was a sad, yet joyful moment filled with relief and sorrow. My Mom had been in declining health for several years, her eyesight was not good. Her knees, wrists and body were in constant pain. Yet her mind was still pretty good, although she might have debated that! Her love for family was never stronger. Yet her yearning for heaven grew stronger each passing week.

My Mom became a follower of Jesus in her early 20’s. She could not recall a date to claim as her “decision for Christ date”, but she knew that something in her life changed. She took her new faith seriously. Regular church attendance became part of her rhythm of life. In fact, my siblings and I bemoaned that we were in church every time the doors were open! I imagine many of you reading this are smiling, as that could be part of your childhood too!

In early May I went to see her for a week. We had an excellent visit. I was able to get her out of her room almost every day to go hear some music, visit people, go outside and look at the flowers, feel alive again. You see she was more than happy to stay in her room, as getting out was taxing for her mentally and physically. My sister said it was the most energetic she had seen Mom in quite some time. During that visit she asked what I wanted for a remembrance of her. I reminded her that when she moved into the assisted living facility (which is staffed by some excellent and caring people) we had an estate sale (which she came to) and at that time she gave her children some items of importance to them.

I in fact use the oak rolltop desk she gave me every day for studying, etc. I reminded her of that, and some of the kitchen utensils she had. My granddaughters use the same rolling pin my Mom used for me when I was little to roll out biscuits! I have some of the marbles she kept from my childhood. I told her the greatest inheritance she gave me was introducing me to Jesus! With her steady faith she lived with an abusive husband who died at age 39 leaving her with four kids, three still at home. She kept us in church, and surrounded by friends and family who loved us and the Lord.

Mom sacrificed much to raise us without a dad. She always put us ahead of her in the use of time and finances. Oh, that the young people today would value their families like that, especially the men. I miss her, yet I am thankful she had a strong hope of heaven, a strong faith in God. She trusted that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on that cross almost 2,000 years ago would cover her sins. That is what the Bible teaches, and what I believe too.

I pray that you might find the cure for the pain and suffering that life often gives us…it is not a drug, or a bunch of material goods. It is a personal, life and eternity changing relationship with your Creator. Some days the tears just show up for a moment or two, because I miss being able to talk with the lady who brought me into this world. She almost made it to 93! I know that before too long I will see her again!

Blessings to you this week!

Dave Carroll is an area missionary with InFaith, America’s oldest Christian home mission agency, and Pastor of the Wolf Creek Baptist Church. You can contact Dave at 406.459.8935 or davecarroll@infaith.org