The love recalls

There isn’t a day that goes by without me thinking of my parents in some way; the feeling is especially strong on some days. It is true that while you learn to cope with the loss, you never truly get over their passing. The one beautiful truth I have learned is that the memories that once caused me grief have become my greatest comfort, including the holidays.
Thanksgiving filled the house with the scent of turkey and sweet homemade desserts. Christmas was filled with secrets wrapped in pretty paper beneath a silver Christmas tree. There was also the special holiday meal with Mom’s fruitcake made from scratch and Dad’s special ambrosia. Easter was filled with baskets and the dying of bright-colored eggs. It was the one time of the year we all got new clothes and shoes for Sunday Service.
I remember one Easter when my mom took out her sewing machine and made matching maxi skirts and shirts for my sister and me. The skirt fabric had a quilt pattern with orange, blue, and white print; the orange shirts sported puffed sleeves. It’s funny how out of all the Easter clothes I received, this is the one outfit I recall so vividly. I believe it’s because it was made with love. It is the love that recalls the prized memories of my youth.
Ultimately, due to their declining health, my parents required 24/7 care, necessitating their placement in a nursing home. Over time, my mother’s eyesight deteriorated due to various illnesses. Regardless of her lack of vision, Mom could always recognize us by how we kissed her cheek. The love we shared refreshed her memories.
If memories are revived by love, hope is the gift that love brings. As Alexander Pope wrote in his Essay of a Man, hope springs eternal. Without love and hope, what do we have? Among all the gifts my parents gave us, the most valued is the love and hope they instilled in us from early childhood. Our hope, or faith, teaches us not to lose hope, even though we may be wasting away on the outside. Our faith renews our inner selves daily, reminding us that this world is only temporary. However, an eternal dwelling awaits each of us, as stated in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
During His time on earth, Jesus talked about an eternal dwelling place. Did you know faith is perfected when we keep our focus on Him? Jesus endured the cross because He knew His suffering would ease our pain. Because of Him, we have the hope that we will see our loved ones again.
After His resurrection, Jesus taught His disciples of a better place. He said that heaven has many rooms. He said He would go and prepare a place for those who believe in Him. He promised to return for the faithful ones, assuring them that they would not be left alone but that He would always be with them. He also promised to give them peace, not of the world, but of the Kingdom of heaven (John 14).
Honestly, I know loss hurts; mere words cannot diminish its pain. Nonetheless, when waves of grief come my way, I pull up my memories and smile. I relive Easter Sundays and picnics after church. I allow the love to recall words of faith and rejoice in the hope of eternal life.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:14.

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.