All Saints Day

Today is All Saints Day. Protestants observe this as a day to remember the saints, "saints" by the New Testament meaning of "all Christian people of every time and place". Growing up in a Methodist church, All Saints Day occurs on the first Sunday in November. "It is held to remember all those who have died who were members of the local congregation." As the Pastor reads aloud the names of deceased, one by one, a handbell is rung. The bell is rung one time for each person who has passed away within the last year. 

I don't really ever remember attending this service but I'm sure I did at some point in high school. I did not go last year, but my momma was in attendance at that service. I remembered this week that she had written about it in her CaringBridge last year. She said this regarding that Sunday service: 

"I remember silently crying and wondering when my name would be called. Would it be next year, the year after that, or was it going to be a long way off in the future. I made my mind up that it would be a long way into the future before my name would be called and a bell rung in church for me!"

Well Momma, today Pastor Troy called your name and that bell was rung for you. It made my heart hurt to hear that bell. The bell was loud and it faded for just a second until it was completely silent again in the sanctuary. Then another name was called and so on. We were asked last week to serve communion as a family at the 8am service. Pastor Troy told the congregation how beautiful it was to have "Colleen's whole family serving communion today". I cried for most of the service but pulled it together for communion. At the end, when we were serving each other, Pastor Troy said to us that he believed she was communing with us right then. 

We don't get to choose when we leave this Earth. My momma was determined and stubborn and she didn't want to leave for a very long time. In the end, God's timing is always perfect and has a way of knocking us off our own pedestals. So, at the end of Momma's time, she was ready to go and she was at peace with dying. She was confident in where she was going and was not afraid. For she knew that God would say to her, "well done, my good and faithful servant."

Momma is now a saint among the angels but more importantly, she is with The Lord. All those who believe in Christ and live their lives with servant hearts will also be saints when they pass from this Earthly life into the Eternal life. We know this life is hard. It's okay to lament to God about our struggles and heartache here on Earth. He knows it all too well. We are fighting against evil here but in Heaven, the saints are filled with only Joy and there is no evil to contend with. Momma doesn't have to fight against the cancer of this broken world. She is free to dance and sing among the saints and the angels. I know that she is waiting for us, but I am relieved to know that as she waits in the presence of our Heavenly Father, she is without pain and sorrow from now until forevermore. 

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

REVELATION 21.1-4 (NIV)