"Mom's Song" In Memory of My Mother

I grew up in a family where the name of Jesus was hardly ever mentioned. When I was a child, I recall that we all attended a church as a family, but in our home, there was no mention at all of anything concerning the Gospel of God's grace, of sin, of judgment or of eternal life. At every meal, we all prayed in a sing-song voice, "Come LORD Jesus, be our guest. Bless this food Thou hast given us. Amen." That was the extent of our devotion to God. We thought that the LORD Jesus Christ should, "be our guest".

As I look back, I remember that my mother was quite oppressed in her efforts to raise up us four kids with some kind of spiritual understanding. Although she didn't know much herself, she thought it would be good for us to know something about God. So, we got packed up every Sunday and went to church. Sadly, my parents chose a liberal presbyterian church and it was a place of death.

Eventually, even my spiritually blind parents realised there was something wrong going on there. First, the pastor's daughter was sent away to have an abortion in the 60's, long before the Roe v. Wade decision made that heinous procedure legal. Then one Sunday, a red-haired woman named Marlene began wildly shouting out gibberish words in a loud voice. Folks whispered that she was "speaking in tongues". Finally, the pastor announced one Sunday that he and his wife would be separating and he wanted the congregation to meet his new girlfriend. There she was, sitting in the front pew, all smiles - or should I say, sitting in the front smile, all pews.

That incident was the last straw for my mother. We left that church and our family floated along without any spiritual guidance for years. We would tune into a Billy Graham crusade on TV now and again and watch with wide-eyed awe as thousands of people got up out of their seats to go forward and accept Jesus. The choir was singing, "Just as I am without one plea...", over and over and over again.

John 3:16 was drummed into my head. So Jesus died for sinners. So what? Such a thought didn't mean much to me. I dismissed the whole thing and went on my way. I departed my childhood home for college a few years later and left to myself, without even the rules of a family household to obey, I ran with wild abandon to hell in my aimless life.

By God's mercy, the LORD would finally teach me that no human being knows that they are a sinner. And furthermore, no human being knows that their life is aimless, nor that they are headed for hell unless God intervenes. Unless the LORD reveals sin and grants the gift of faith, hell will be the final, eternal destination of every human being, body and soul. As God's gracious providence to my soul would have it, I was stopped by Him in mercy and love on Thanksgiving Day in 1990. My mother was with me that day. She set a Bible in front of me and said, "It's the WORD of GOD". I was born again reading God's Word that very day.

I was with my beautiful mother when The LORD took her soul to glory 18 years later, in 2008. I began singing this song during the long drive home from the nursing home that night. By God's mercy, I sang it at mom's funeral a few days later.

I inherited lots of the stuff my parents had in their possession. The cardboard creche scene and dolls were among all that stuff. I unearthed the dusty corrugated cardboard box that held that relic and set up the whole thing to take a picture. I was so amazed to look back and remember, that every Christmas, all my young life, I played with the dolls of the camels, the sheep, of Mary and Joseph, but I was in complete darkness concerning the glory of God in Christ. I didn't know that Jesus is Eternal God until He revealed Himself to me in His Holy Word by the Spirit of Christ. But He knew me from eternity past and was faithful to come to me at the appointed hour of love. Once I beheld the Saviour, all those false ideas about Jesus - that blasphemous toy - became a dead and abhorent thing in the Light of His True Person.

If you have been blessed with a mother or father who knows and loves the LORD Jesus Christ, thank Him, for this is a great gift from God. And if your parents do not know Him - or even if you do not know who your real parents are - take courage! There is a Saviour and His Name is JESUS! All He requires is that you see your need of Him. He is willing, willing, willing to be Father, Brother, Husband and Friend.

If you would like to see the music notation Valerie DeMar (cellist) and I (vocals and piano) used in this performance, go to: http://media.sermonaudio.com/articles/ar-12509123126-1.PDF

Hear the preaching of God's Word. This is the True Gospel of God's Sovereign Grace to sinners from Pastor Jim Byrd of First Baptist Church of Almont, Michigan. The title of the message is "OUR RESURRECTED LORD" http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=822111323282

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Kathleen Shea Vick
• mom's funeral
• Geraldine Holt Shea
• eternal life
• everlasting life
• Christianity
• The Gospel

[SpriteKeanman11]

Aww, So sad, Very sorry that your mother had passed RIP

[dungeonlordcuteface]

My mother passed on Sept, 26 too, just in the year 2005 I wish you the very best in the journey to acceptance. Remember it all, cherish the time you had, memories made. As long as your breathing, she'll never truly fade.

:).

[dungeonlordcuteface]

My mother passed on Sept, 26 too, just in the year 2005 I wish you the very best in the journey to acceptance. Remember it all, cherish the time you had, memories made. As long as your breathing, she'll never truly fade.

:).

[AbrahamJuliotMusic]

I thank the Lord for this beautiful and comforting song.

[gohanfan98]

May your mother rest in peace