Dealing with Loss: My experience with the passing of my mother

Psalm 19:1-2

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.

 

• I would like to share about the passing of my mother.
• One thing I love about the Lord is that we can know Him as Father.
• Father is such a surreal name for it entails more then relationship, but includes attributes.
• For a Father title comes with Fatherly characteristics
• A Father is a preparer. The term for head of house (Father) literally means to be out front. Which means to lead or prepare the way
• Jesus reflects His fatherly attributes by saying He is going to prepare a place for us and one day soon He will come and reveal that place to us for all of eternity
• Another attribute of a Father is a Provider. Father provides
• Another Attribute of a Father is Protector. Father PROTECTS
• These are three attributes that really speak the loudest when understanding God as Father.

1. Father is a preparer (Gets things ready for the family)
2. Father is a provider (Makes sure family has all they need)
3. Father is a protector (Makes sure family is safe from the schemes of the enemy)

In a practical sense I would like to reflect how my Father moved on my family’s behalf during the lost of my mom.

 

1. Father as a PREPARER: His timing
2. FATHER AS A PROVIDER: HIS comfort
3. FATHER AS A PROTECTOR: HIS promises

 

1. Father as a PREPARER: His timing

 

Matthew 24:21-22

“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

 

• I have written in my Bible from years ago, “The ELECT IMPACTS HISTORY AND TIME!”
• You see the Lord is in control of TIME and SEASONS and from this passage and so many like it, it appears as though He uses His ability and power to direct the course of time to a desired goal.
• What is that desired goal, the good of His people, and the glory of His name.

 

Colossians 1:17

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

• The Apostle Paul declares that Jesus is out in front, and the out in front means leading the way, preparing the way
• Then it says, “HE is holding all things together.”
• He is out in front preparing the way and making sure that WAY is secure in HIM
• When we are in the States we stay with my mom
• She has always been gracious enough to allow us to be with her and help her in areas of need.
• Last year we bought a one way ticket for the first time, not knowing when we would return, but in November the Lord told me to return in December for He had something for me.
• We did and was able to have Christmas for the first time in the States in 4-5 years. Pretty special time with my family and loved ones, especially my mom
• Then at the start of the year we began to meet and prepare for our return to Vietnam and like every other time before the Lord gave me a general idea of when we are to go and so I purchased our tickets for the middle of March
• THEN CORONA
• SHUT DOWN, I mean COMPLETE LOCKDOWN
• VIETNAM closed, TICKETS CANCELED and nation on lockdown
• Because of my mom’s health condition we really had to be wise, respectful and careful, so we did not go any where
• Every day, we were home, in her little house hanging out with her and enjoying her
• Everyday we ate, laughed, drank coffee, argued, bothered, and spent time together
• Since December of 2019 until mid July 2020 we were with my mom almost every day, all day long.
• This Pandemic has been awful, and horrific, but it has also been used by God

 

 

Psalm 139:12

Even the darkness is not dark to You,

And the night is as bright as the day.

Darkness and light are alike to You.

 

• The night that my mom passed I had been teaching our pastors online and went to go to sleep about 2 am
• I heard some movment but it was normal movement, but I drifted off to sleep
• I woke up 45-1 hour later and went to go to the bathroom and poked my head into her room to check on her and saw her laying across the bed
• I went over and was trying to wake her up and was praying
• I just felt like it was not right, so I started CPR while I was on the phone with 911
• The ambulance came and took over CPR and was able to get a pulse, and vital signs
• They took her to the hospital and my family made their way here
• We were confronted with the reality that she is ready to go be with the Lord and in the midst of Corona Virus they were not letting people in to see their family members in that section, but God gave us great victory