"It Is Worth It!"

Oct 10, 2018

4 min read

Dear Family and Friends,

This once virtual post that tormented my mind over the past two years and kept me awake countless nights as the thoughts of it fluttered in my head; this post that I was hoping would never be drafted into reality is now exactly that. It is here, it is real, and it is plastered on the screen and glaring back at you. At 3:17am on the morning of Wednesday, October 10th, our precious mother, my dear father’s beloved wife of 40 years passed away peacefully in the comfort of her home surrounded by my father and the four of us girls. It was just us. The original 6. And in a fleeting moment we become the remaining 5.

5 just doesn’t seem right. The extreme grief we are experiencing has brought with it stinging tears and emotions too raw and foreign to put into words. But by God's grace, and in very Robin fashion, we have found the ability to find humor in the midst of our anguish. God is comforting us with the gift of laughter during such a time as this along with the peace that Mom is forever in the glory of our savior Jesus Christ and God the Father.

Mom is with Jesus! How incredible!! The thought of that is unexplainable!!! She.Is.With.Jesus...Forever! I thank God for the gift and sacrifice of Jesus Christ our savior. God created the world. It was perfect, even man was blameless. But because of man, sin entered the world which ultimately separated us from God because He is without and cannot be with sin. BUT! God made a rescue plan and sent his son Jesus to die a death we deserved. But Jesus did not remain dead, three days later He rose from the dead and prepared a place for us in heaven. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we can now be forgiven of our sins and therefore can once again be with God for eternity. For "if you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is LORD," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10 As I leave you with these truths I also leave you with words written by mom in the very first update she sent. She wrote this only days after learning that the mass discovered in her brain was indeed cancer. Here's what she had to say. “I want everyone to know God has blessed me with total peace and no fear of the future. I am anticipating what God is going to do through this experience in life. Who am I going to meet that I can influence for Jesus and how am I going to be blessed by others? Even though our prayer is for physical healing, if God's plan is different, we are at peace and want Him praised, lifted up, and honored for His faithfulness in our lives.”

God’s plan is perfect. Mom has now been healed and is resting in the eternal comfort and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. To God be the glory! We give thanks to you all. You have truly been a blessing to each and every one of us and most especially mom. Your love, support, prayers, and care have meant so much to us; God has used you to carry her and all of us through this trial. We humbly ask you to continue to pray for us as we journey on through this new, unfamiliar terrain. But first and foremost praise His name with us for the gift of eternal life that Mom is experiencing now and forever.

Blessings, and one final message from Mom that she shared in her testimony at the beginning of her diagnosis. "The day my girls came to our home for Jeff and me to let them know the final diagnosis was a very difficult day. But I did not want them to leave that evening without knowing that this happening to me and all of us is okay. I had them turn around and look at their children’s pictures hanging on my living room wall displaying Jeff’s and my 15 grandchildren; I told them that if me having this cancer brings even one of those children closer to Christ, it has all been worth it! I also let them know that this diagnosis has given me a gift. I again feel the intimacy with Christ that I had been craving - the intimacy with God that I had when I was a child but had lost for such a long time. I have had some of the most incredible times with God since my diagnosis, and He has been holding me so tight just like before. Again I say, it is worth it!"

Love you All,

Robin