ABSENT FROM THE BODY....PRESENT WITH THE LORD (2 COR 5:8)
It broke my heart to lose her and part of me went with her. I never thought I could write a tribute to my dear mother as every memory of her brought such grief because she was irreplaceable. It's now been two years since she departed to be with Christ, after a long battle with cancer. However, I still remember everything vividly, like it happened only yesterday. Surrounded by her beloved family, she passed on peacefully during the early hours of March 28, 2015. Although her desire was to spend some more healthy years on earth, the Lord had been certainly preparing her for her homecoming. Because of her blessed assurance in her Savior who was always with her, she had no fear even when she was walking through the valley of shadow of death.
Born in Kerala, she was the oldest of her two siblings. After her marriage she moved to Tamil Nadu where she spent the rest of her life. She was spiritually born again in 2001, and since then she had a deeper thirst to know God and His word. Mummy was a woman of prayer and am certainly reaping the good harvest of what she sowed with much tears on my behalf.
She was the binding force in the family and remained a dedicated wife, mother, daughter and sister to the end. Her love and service went beyond home. Along with papa, she traveled to different villages to minister and to pray with other fellow-believers. Mummy also took great delight in training little children in God's word and was enthusiastic about teaching them many Sunday school songs. Thus the Lord used her to bring many little ones to be blessed by Him (Matt 19:14).
Even in the midst of severe physical pain towards the end of life, her faith stood tall. She continued in prayer and recounting God's goodness to the very end. She fought a good fight, she finished the race, she kept the faith (2 Tim 4:7).
We miss her more than words can convey. Nothing can change the fact that she did not get to hold her first grandchild or will ever be a part of our earthly lives. Nevertheless, I console myself everyday with the words of this traditional christian song:
"I have a loving mother up in Gloryland.
I don't expect to stop until I shake her hand
She's waiting now for me in heaven's open door....
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore".