Saying Goodbye...

Today, my dear great-grandmother, Rosa Ramos, went to be with Jesus. At 2:30 this morning, this beloved lady breathed her last. Though we will all miss her, we know that this is God's will. Only His perfect love consoles us through this difficult time.

Throughout this time, it is a blessing to find consolation in God, but also in His word.

We find in:

Psalm 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints."

Glory be to God that my great-grandmother received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She, in her late nineties, also fulfilled the biblical mandate of being baptized in the name of Jesus. I know that she is precious in the Lord's sight because she belonged to Him.

Romans 8:38-39 "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Nothing can separate my great-grandmother from God's love, not event the death of her earthly body.

Romans 14:8 "For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s."

I praise the Lord that throughout her walk with Christ, my great-grandmother was willing to live and was willing to rest in the House of her Father. When she was alive, she was the Lord’s and now that she's with her King, she is still the Lord's

Revelation 14:13 "And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

God has given my great-grandmother rest. She has raised four children, and loved a  large number of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, {and believe it or not,} great-great grandchildren. My great-grandmother and I never spent much time together because she lived in Ecuador and I live in the United States. The time that I did get to spend with her was precious and I will treasure it for years to come. 

From the stories I've heard, my grandmother was a loving woman with some spunk. She was also a midwife, helping to deliver several of her descendants. She was petite and had a soft, soothing voice. One of her favorite past times, was sitting by the window and watching the neighbors walk by. Everyone knew my great-grandmother because she had been around for five generations. 

I ask that each of you pray for my family. A few of them aren't Christians and are grieving bitterly. They themselves don't have hope in Jesus, and fear that all hope is lost, now that "mamita" is gone. 

Thank you Lord for the time (98 years) that we had "mamita." On October 4, my great-grandmother turned 98 and three days later went to rest in the House of her King.

The words of this song sing such a glorious truth.