A letter written after days and dozens of questions to see where my mom’s heart and faith were at. Written to answer each doubt, and stir each belief. A personal gospel still always leads to the same path to heaven. I began sharing the letter here, and it almost finishes today.
But mom…
there is that separation between you and God now…
I know you feel it…
I know you feel you aren’t quite near enough to touch…
I know you want to be nearer…
But it’s your iniquities that separate you from your God. It is your sins that make him hide his face so that he will not hear you. (Isaiah 59:2)
There is only one God and only one way to him.
Perfection can exist where there is imperfection.
But imperfection always falls apart.
We are imperfect at our best.
Mom, I know you believe that Jesus is God, and that he lived and died and didn’t stay dead.
I want you to have more than knowing. I want you to live.
Jesus proved that death can’t stop His life…
and only his life can give you forever life.
He covers completely what we can only barely begin to grasp.
There is one God. There is one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as a ransom for all. (1 Timothy 2:5)
For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. (1 Peter 3:18)
So Mom…
the God of the universe – the One who created and sustains it all – and keeps your heart beating…
He made the first step, but the other step has to be taken by you.
You have loved greatly, but you are not perfect…
and perfection is a requirement for heaven….
and only perfection can conceive perfection…
and only the God of the Bible is perfect.
Nobody knows better than you how imperfect this son of yours is. But you also know how firm my sight is on heaven. You know I stumble, but I keep heading for him. You I know I believe that I’ll live forever, together with God and all those who have accepted His Grace. I want to know for sure that you will be there too. I don’t want to be without you.
Mom – it’s a gift. Accept his forgiveness not for any one sin, but for all sin.
Just grab it and you have it – if you grab with all your heart, not your head, or hands.
And Mom, I know you’ve read this…
But he won’t enter unless he’s invited.
And mom, now it’s just simple steps…
just take them if you want him living in you…
and you living in him…
forever…
and tomorrow the letter ends…
as my mom’s life ended…
as Sara’s life just ended…
except they are both more alive than ever.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Thankful that of all your mom’s children, you were there, and you had a lifesaving message for her. And you shared it with her. Thankful, Craig, that you survived the anguish of your childhood and returned, able to bring the lifejacket to your mom, to offer it to her.
A. All of her children were there as much as they could be. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. No big. God bless you A. And how you are missed when you are gone!
For some reason, while reading this and A’s response, I thought of Esther and the “for such a time as this” — and Joseph and the “you meant it for evil but God meant it for good” types of turn outs. You were there, Craig, and walked a hard and long road just for this “fullness of time”. I’m imagining that YOU are aware of how much had to be set up by God for this to happen just as it did and for you to be able to even write such a letter. As I told Dawn a few days ago, what a tapestry He weaves on the looms of our lives!!!! Sometimes, we get to see the top side and the beauty of it all. And here is another example of getting that chance to see. I’ve been so moved by all of this, and I’m so much more aware of who is in my life, their needs, and yes, their heart. Wanting to know someone’s heart — it’s what it’s all about.
Cora, I forget my own words – I forget that this was my mom’s “fullness of time”. And thank you – I don’t think enough of how He orchestrated this. Thank you for reminding me! Gosh, how you see things! God bless you Cora!
So beautiful here, with Him orchestrating and you asking and listening and writing a one of a kind letter. Craig, tonight I shared a little with my mom, as I listened to her. Some things came out. She mocked me, more or less, and of course you know how that feels. I felt like I failed Him. But . . .I’ll keep listening and asking and not let the mocking stop me if He is giving me prompts to speak. Maybe something we talked about made her think of Him a little differently. God bless you and this week’s lessons!
I get the same way that you do Debbie – and I have to remind myself that it’s just ours to bring the message – it’s God’s to pull the person – and the person’s job to respond to the pulling. That’s all we can do really – just live the gospel – and share the gospel – and the thing I have forgotten is that all of those questions have to come first – we (read I) really need to find out where a person is at – exactly – before we (read I) start spout any gospel at all. God bless you my friend!