May 8th, 2024

God is good all the time….

He is a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers” – Psalm 1:3

We are coming up on Mother’s Day….

The eve of Mother’s Day last year….

Would be the last significant conversation that we would have….

I am not really sure what the conversation was about….

I just know….

From Mother’s day morning….

Until she went to be with Jesus….

She was mostly unresponsive….

Many one way conversations….

I knew she was hearing me…

From time to time….

She would squeeze my hand….

But that was the most I would get….

Coming up on this season….

Reminders of a year ago….

It is hard for everyone…

Everyone who knew her….

Everyone who loved her….

Tutorial was her happy place….

We finished this year up the year last Monday….

It was a great day….

There was still a little something missing….

Her….

Her heart for the Lord shined bright there…..

She loved being a homeschooling mama….

She loved helping others….

Her influence is still there….

It is now through the children….

I was encouraged last night…

A new family at tutorial….

Never met My Healed Wife in heaven….

Told me….

She has watched us this year….

She said….

Our children walk with the peace of the Lord….

I agreed….

I told her….

That is a reflection of their mom….

I point all good about them to her and the Lord…..

The children are remembering this time last year….

I see it in their faces….

I see it in their emotions….

Uncharacteristic emotions….

We sat down for dinner….

I wanted to have an intentional conversation with them….

Help them navigate this season….

We talked about this time last year….

We talked about the punk….

How he wants us to focus on the negative memories….

The ones that bring pain….

Heartache….

We talked about missing her…

And that was ok….

Tears of sadness were ok….

But only for a moment….

If we stay there….

It gets real dark….

Real quickly….

That is where the punk wins….

We have to be intentional….

To move to good thoughts….

What is our favorite memory….

Hear her laugh….

Move to the memories of life….

The memories that reflect her spirit….

Move the tears from a source of pain…..

To a source of joy….

Focus on her life…

Move those tears to smiles…..

We must be intentional….

Move those smiles to laughter….

If we focus on her life….

Her life that reflected Jesus….

In everything she did….

That laughter….

Moves to celebration….

She reached her final victory….

In our weakness we are made strong….

She is in eternal victory….

If we focus on….

Our love for the Lord….

Our love for her….

We can only celebrate….

We know….

We know that we know….

She is healed….

She is whole….

I told the children….

My image of her in heaven….

Standing beside Jesus….

Watching us….

Jesus nudges her gently with His elbow….

That’s my boy….

Pointing down to earth….

Did you see that…..

He just prayed for those officers….

That is my boy….

She responds….

Uh….

No……

That is MY boy….

Jesus, with a smirk….

No….

That is my boy….

My creation…..

She rolls her eyes…..

With a chuckle….

Without me….

He is not born….

That is MY boy….

I see them walking off….

Continuing the debate….

The kids chuckled….

And agreed….

I told them….

In their healed mom’s version of heaven….

She is always right….

They laughed….

I followed up with….

Or maybe that was here on earth….

They laughed even harder….

We pictured their healed mom….

In heaven….

Continually watching….

Hearing her say….

Wow….

Hannah just got a new room in her mansion…..

What did I miss…..

She catches up with Jesus….

Looking proudly down upon Hannah…..

Pointing again….

Nudging my healed wife again….

She just blessed that waitress….

That is my girl…..

My healed wife in heaven says….

No….

That is my girl….

And it all starts again….

They wonder off….

Continuing the debate….

Here on earth….

She was a proud mama….

No reason to believe….

It is any different in heaven….

We laughed some more….

We finished the conversation….

Reminding each other…..

That the enemy is on attack….

He thinks we are vulnerable….

Weak….

He is on full force….

Attacking us….

We need to pull together….

We need to support each other….

We need to understand….

We need to show empathy….

We need to love each other….

Love each other when the emotions rise….

When the enemy hits a sore spot….

A spot that makes us wince….

A wince that is seen and felt by others….

We should not be irritated with each other….

We do not need to respond to the wince with aggravation….

With impatience….

We need to respond with love….

We need to encourage….

We need to hug….

We need to hold….

They all smirked a bit….

Knowing we have all been a little guilty….

Guilty of the winces….

Guilty of the lack of understanding with each other….

They all agreed…..

We would stand strong as a family….

I finished the conversation….

Knight family rules….

They responded…..

Knight family rocks….

The conversation could not have been more beautiful….

It could not have been more orchestrated by God….

Brining us peace….

Once again….

In a season where the world….

Where the punk….

Expects us to crumble….

Expects us to wither….

To wilt….

God brought us together….

In His presence….

Gave me the words to speak….

We cried….

We laughed….

We rejoiced….

We planned how we are going to spend the day….

The day she went to be with Jesus….

The day of her final victory….

We planned how we were going to celebrate….

We are planning a fun day….

Doing the stuff that made her smile….

We talk about that as well….

What we plan as fun down here….

She smirks at….

She has a whole new level of fun….

We cannot comprehend….

We can hear her now….

You think that is fun…..

Just wait…..

Just wait….

We cannot imagine….

But we know how much she enjoyed life….

And heaven is unimaginably better….

That is all we need to know….

She loved life on earth….

Now her eternity….

Is infinitely better….

Our life on earth….

In our new way of living with her….

The intimacy with Jesus….

The faithfulness He is pouring over us….

Every day….

We are walking in peace….

We are walking in joy….

There is no loser in this scenario….

No loser but the punk….

We are all walking in victory….

In grace….

In mercy….

In the love of Jesus….

…. All the time God is good.