headache, she had passed out and never laughed at her own mistakes when others ward to. She’d say, “How can I be afraid to
regained consciousness. Mom’s body was would have been riled. die? I am going to spend eternity with the
operating on life support and the doctor She chose to look at the bright side of Lord! What better place would one want
recommended it be disconnected. challenging situations when others would to be?” She not only believed in God, but
As I frantically packed my suitcase, only feel discouragement or hopelessness. she also had a personal relationship with
Tom contacted the airlines immediately As a teenager, I used to get angry with Him. She knew her time on earth was but
to put me on a flight home. Since it was Mom because after telling her a saga of a small slice of eternity. It was not until I
the Christmas holiday week, there were someone hurting me, she wouldn’t side became an adult that I understood her
no flights available the entire day. He with me as I wanted her to. Instead she healthy outlook on life and death.
booked me on the first flight available the suggested I forgive and encouraged me to When I arrived at the hospital, Mom
next morning. I had no choice but to look beyond the hurt. Although she lay in her bed, connected to life support.
wait and to trust God. didn’t excuse people’s errors, she knew The family prayed together around
Feeling helpless at being so far away, I there were deeper reasons for people’s Mom’s bed and then called the medical
requested that Mom be kept on life sup- unkind actions. She refused to judge peo- staff to disconnect her life support.
port until I arrived. I wanted to be there ple and never gave up hope for anyone. It touched my heart to know that as
when she was disconnected. Dad hesitat- Her love was unconditional to all. God planned Mom’s homecoming, He
ed, as he was concerned that Mom was Mom’s heart was full of joy as she val- didn’t forget about my family and me. I
somehow able to feel pain; he didn’t ued life’s treasures of love and family. Her realized that it was God who had nudged
want her to suffer. The doctor assured heart was stayed on the Lord; her faith was Mom and Dad to visit us only months
him she was not in pain, but adminis- unyielding. Mom never cared about mate- before Mom’s death. It was God who had
tered morphine to eliminate any possible rial things. I recalled how frustrating it was moved me to call Mom early in the
suffering. The doctor explained that her to give her a gift and then discover that morning on her birthday so I could tell
body could give out at any time, even she had given it to someone else in greater her I loved her one last time. One hour
while on life support. I asked God to keep need. She consistently put others before later she was gone. Mom was walking on
her alive until I arrived. herself without complaint and kept life’s streets of gold with her Savior. How pre-
During the flight home the next disappointments between herself and God. cious that God took her to her eternal
morning, I pondered Mom’s life. Grand- As I faced Mom’s pending death, I home on the anniversary of her birth.
ma and Grandpa had named her Carol, as remembered as a child being mystified Mom truly went home for Christmas.
she was born two days after Christmas. when we discussed the subject of death.
Laughter was common whenever She always professed to have no fear of Therese Marszalek, author and writer,
Mom was present. She chose to see some- dying. It was apparent to me that death recounts her mother’s homegoing from her
thing funny even in life’s bitter trials. She was something she actually looked for- home in Spokane, Washington.
My Most Memorable Christmas • Paul Conn
A Perfect Place
Paul Conn
IN MY HOME growing up, we had all the elements for creating an exciting Christmas: a Dad with a flair for
serves as
entertaining his children; Mom, an old-fashioned homemaker for whom baking and love were an art form; and
president
12 hyperactive children to relish it all.
of Lee Uni-
We always had a big family feast on Christmas Eve, we sang carols, and Dad read the Christmas story from
versity in
Luke. Then after the children were put to bed upstairs, Mom and Dad would carefully place our presents in pre-
Cleveland,
determined spots around the living room, for us to “find” the next morning when, after our beds were made
Tennessee.
and we were dressed, we were allowed to march downstairs together.
My most memorable Christmas? 1969. I will never forget it, although it’s a poignant memory, because it
was my sister Sara’s last Christmas. I was a graduate student, home for the holidays, and I remember thinking
how beautiful Sara was that Christmas Eve, as she gently played mother to her own little children. Then it
snowed on Christmas morning, a lovely, soft snow, and for a few hours the world seemed almost a perfect place.
EVANGEL • DEC 2008 15
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