2006MessageMemorialforMom

Message for the 7th Anniversary:

Since the last anniversary on April 20, 2005...

I lost my Mom on December 13, 2005. I wanted to share the message I spoke at my mothers funeral with all of you. I hope it will help you heal too.

The funeral was in the Cathloic church we grew up in and for the scripture readings for the service we had a book to choose scripture selections from…one Old Testament reading – Isaiah 25:6-9, one New Testament – 2 Corinthians 5:1,6-10 and one Gospel reading – John 14:1-6.

I had already chosen the scriptures to speak on the night before and several of them were available for the New Testament reading… so I chose the scripture that went along with what I was going to say. The pastor had some great things to say about that verse too! The section I spoke on was …2 Corinthians 5:6-8.

First I talked about my Mom and her life and how she loved her family and friends and how we were able to make her happy even though she knew she was dying. She loved seeing our family at the family reunion this year… the first in years. And, I was even able to make her happy when I went to visit her in the hospice. I also talked about how my Mom requested to be buried with the cross necklace I bought her for Christmas last year and how that meant a lot to me. And how it had been a privilege to watch her relationship with God grow over the last 4 years of her life.

Then I talked about the 2 Corinthians scripture and this illustration to go with it….

2 Corinthians 5:6-8

6Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Because I was still in Colorado and could not be with my family when Mom died like I wanted to, I drove up to Littleton because I need time to think and to spend with God… and He spoke to me about a couple of things. One I will talk about… the other I will leave between me, my Mom and God. As I was driving and praying, the sun began to set and the sky looked like there was both a sunset and a sunrise in the sky at the same time. If you looked straight ahead the sky was red and pink and looked like sunset but if you looked off to the left the sky was bright orange like a sunrise. Then God reminded me of a devotional I read once (in an Our Daily Bread devotional) about dying being like sunset. When the sun sets in one place in the world it is actually rising in another place. So it’s like a sunset here and a sunrise in heaven at the exact same time. And God said that is what happened for my Mom.

I was very emotional while sharing and sounded like I was about to cry the whole time but the message meant a lot to my family. And… between me and my mom… I was being who God created me to be at her funeral.

Then, I shared this scripture as a healing message for my family:

Ephesians 3:14-21 (New King James Version)

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,[a] 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes understanding; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I used the NKJV because part of our family, my mom, was in heaven now and I wanted to say that we along with her could experience the love of God together even though she was in heaven and she knew it more than we could here.

Then I talked about Michael Sweet (of Stryper)'s music and how much it meant to me (since I first heard it as a teenager and it reached me for Christ) and to my Mom as it reached her too and meant a lot to her in her relationship with God over the last four years of her life. I talked about how Michael writes songs as if Jesus was singing them to you. Then I said… so between me and my mom, between mom and Jesus and between Jesus and each one of us, I’d like to read the lyrics to a song called “The River”.

THE RIVER

Written By: Michael Sweet

If you're hurting, I'll take your pain

If your life is dry and weary, I'll bring the rain

If you're searching, then search no more

If you're drifting on an ocean, I'll be the shore

I see the scars that you hide

I've kept the tears that you've cried, they were not in vain

And every prayer that you've prayed

I have treasured and saved, my love will never change

If you're looking for the river

That runs with healing water

Bring yourself to me

And I will wash you in an endless peace

I'm your Saviour,

And I'll save you Tonight

If you're blinded by

The darkness, I'll be the light

If you're hopeless, I'll be your faith

If you're lost, I'll Lead the way

If you're looking for the river

That runs with healing water

Bring yourself to me

And I will wash you in an endless peace

© Sweet Milena Music / BMI.

© & ® 1995 Benson Music Group, Inc.

Then I thanked my family and sat down.

The priest wouldn’t let me play the song in the Cathloic church so I had to quote it. He also made that decision without reading the lyrics. I think he would have let me if realized what it said… or at least from the way he looked at me after I sat down – I think I could tell he would have let me had he known.

Thanks for listening!

I love you guys!

I wanted to let you all know.

I hope you will find comfort in it too.

Love,

Nancy Dz

I know that I shared the Michael Sweet song here before and on previous anniversaries but wanted to post it again so that I could share the entire message I spoke at the funeral with all of you.

Here is just something I wanted to post for my Mom...

Song: I'll Meet You There

By: Whiteheart

I feel the chill of Autumn's wind / seasons changing once again

And every moment's past, still one moment less we spend

Together my friend

I can't hold back these tears in my eyes

This time I won't even try

For time has come and gone, now we must move on

I'll admit I don't know why

Chorus:

Now we must say good-bye to find our road ahead

Destiny leads us on to another place knowing I'll meet you there someday

We chase the future into past only to find it never lasts

And by the time it's gone, the pain is so strong in the end

But listen my friend

Although we've lost what was before

forever will bring us the chance once more

And in that time we'll see, what was meant to be

A special moment to cherish for all of our lives and we'll know in time

Chorus:

Why we must say good-bye to find our road ahead

Destiny leads us on to another place

but I'll meet you there

From the lives we all leave behind

we find there's much more ahead

The Father will lead us on to a better place

And I'll meet you there someday

I'll meet you there someday

Written By: Mark Gersmehl & Tommy Sims Album: Freedom

I'll Meet You There Written by: Mark Gersmehl & & Tommy Sims

Here is a picture of me and my Mom: