The holidays can be a tough time for many who are grieving the loss of someone special–perhaps a loved one who has passed away or someone who is about to expire. Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of my grandfather’s passing, and it still seems like yesterday. Saying goodbye to him was the second hardest goodbye I’ve had to say, after losing my father five years ago.
The day my grandfather passed away was during final exams of my junior year in college. I was studying for a political science exam and took my books on a visit to see him at his home (hospice). I read to him that afternoon. Boring stuff, mainly. He seemed entertained. His eyelids moved. He was listening. Advanced lung cancer had spread throughout his body rather fast, not long after he retirement from a career in construction.
As I collected my things and said goodbye, I felt a nudge (now I realize it was the Holy Spirit) to say more. I reminded him how much we all loved him and that we were going to be okay once he passed. I told him that it was okay to go be with the Lord if Jesus was calling him. He had fought the good fight. He squeezed my hand and a tear trickled down his face. He expired later that evening.
When my father had a stroke, my sister and I helped him receive Jesus right before he died. A devout Muslim for nearly 80 years, my father still respected Jesus and the fact that my sister and I chose to follow Him. The moment he received salvation was surreal, as we felt the Lord’s presence in the room, and we asked our father to take Jesus’ hand. My father was deliberate in squeezing our hands in agreement. He knew. A few seconds later, my sister had a vision of him sailing away in boat, toward Heaven, smiling and waving back at us. What a gift it was to witness our father receive life on his deathbed.
My husband’s mother has advanced dementia and is failing to thrive. She doesn’t have long. The Holy Spirit reminded me to talk to my husband about his mother’s relationship with Christ. When I asked him whether she is saved, he responded with assurance. But in the ten years I have known her, she has seemed disconnected from Christ, never interested in attending church, and disinterested whenever conversations about faith came up. My husband’s father is a fanatic and a bit of a Bible thumper, so that may have something to do with it, but I asked my husband whether he was willing to take the chance that his mom may not be saved.
We can lose salvation if we pull away and reject Christ during our journey. This often happens during really difficult times, as we start to lose faith, grow discouraged, and get angry at the Lord. We can get salvation back just as quickly, though, when we come to a place of repentance, invite the Lord back into our hearts, and acknowledge that the one and only way to Him is through His son, Jesus Christ.
While we are not to force or coerce salvation on anyone, we are to be beacons of light for the world, with extra light given to our loved ones. Their salvation should be important to us. We should not want to take the chance that they end up anywhere but Heaven. On his last trip up to PA to see his mom, my husband had an opportunity to talk with her about her faith and about receiving Jesus. He comforted her, reminded her that we would all be okay, and gave her permission to go be with Him when the time comes.
Carol Masica Photography
My 87 year-old grandfather contracted COVID about a year ago and landed in the hospital for well over a month. It’s a miracle from the Lord that he’s still with us, and the power of a lot of praying hands. When I spoke with him one evening about his experience, he shared that, at one point, he had an angelic encounter. He witnessed big pearly gates open up to receive him. He said it was a positively riveting heavenly encounter that he’ll never forget. When I asked him whether they said anything to him, he couldn’t remember. My guess is that they gave him a choice—to go through the gates or return to earth for a little longer. He chose the latter, and the power of our prayers probably gave the heavens little choice but to let us enjoy him a little longer.
Salvation is the ultimate gift we can facilitate for someone, a gift that comes directly from Jesus himself. It’s the gift of eternal life in a place that surpasses our wildest expectations. A place of no worry. A place of rest. A place of joy. A place that we can’t even conceptualize, but we know that it exists. We know because His word says so.
This holiday, don’t let the weight of grief steal your joy. Take comfort in the fact that your loved one is celebrating with the most high God. He or she would not want you to wallow in despair. If someone you love is about to pass, savor the time that is left, offer reassurances, and make sure that they know Him. Christ died to give you joy in the big things, like salvation, and in the little things, like dinner with family.
