A Season of Anniversaries

We have come upon the season of anniversaries in my life. A couple of weeks ago was May 23. All day long I kept thinking to myself, “May 23rd, May 23rd.... why does May 23rd stick out in my mind? Is it someone's birthday? What is it?” A couple of days later I remembered. It was the 9 year anniversary of my mom's botched heart catheterization that landed her in the ICU for a couple of months and in a nursing home for the rest of her life with no real ability to move on her own or communicate. A date that changed my life forever.

As I sat doing my devotions on Sunday morning I started to cry when I noticed the date – May 30th. It was my dad's 60th birthday. He always loved that his birthday was on May 30th because he claimed that the town of Waterloo always had a parade for him on his birthday because, being the birthplace of Memorial Day, they always have their parade on the 30th. Two years ago on May 30th he was at the parade giving out God's Word in the form of Gideon New Testaments along with my grandparents and some of his other Gideon friends. Caleb and I were talking about Grandpa on Sunday and he told me that he thinks that birthdays are probably better in heaven. I don't know that we celebrate earthly birthdays in heaven but I think that today may be a special day in heaven because it is the 2 year anniversary of his Home going. I mourn today but not as one with no hope. I know that Christ's return is eminent and that one day soon I too with be with both of my parents and, most importantly, my Savior Jesus Christ in heaven because I have trusted in Him alone and His work on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins.

I get “homesick” often, longing to chat with my parents, to tell them something funny or exciting or sad or confusing or whatever, just to talk about life. I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father is “a Father to the fatherless” and He is always there whenever I call. Missing my parents makes me homesick for heaven - “Even so come Lord Jesus.”