MAMA TRADED HER SWEATER FOR A ROBE

By: Donna Selma Lind

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation he has covered me with the robe of righteousness." Isaiah 61:10

Mama's old sweater lay rumpled in the bottom of a dusty cardboard box. 

 I set it aside as I sorted through some photo frames and devotion books, the last of Mama's personal belongings from the Nursing Home.

To think that all of her earthly possessions of nearly eight decades were condensed to a few tattered boxes, made me think.  

I thought about how she lived loud. She lived life to the fullest. She loved to the fullest. She was a servant of the Lord and she loved to give herself away. 

As a kid I was jealous because I had to share her with the world. She just had so much love to share with everyone, I had to learn how to share her. 

Even at the end of her life when she had so little left to give, she gave away her love and shared Jesus with everyone that came to see her.

I received a text from one of her caretakers. 

"Did you find her sweater in the box? She was wearing that sweater when she passed."

My heart fluttered as I ran to my closet to grab the sweater.

I sat on the end of my bed, I brushed my fingers over the tiny pearl buttons and coddled the cable stitching. I held the sweater up and buried my face in it as I burst into tears. 

Her sweet fragrance still lingered in the threads. 

As I yearned and ached for my Mother's arms to hold me, the Lord gave me a vision.

I saw my Mama lying in her bed. I watched her take her last breath on earth and her first breath in Heaven. 

She was accompanied by a band of Angels as she ran into the arms of Jesus!

Her stained and filthy old sweater disappeared into the clouds as the Lord wrapped her in a beautiful pure white Robe of righteousness.

That was all I saw as the vision faded to black.

  

But she was home. Safe in the arms of her Savior. 

Mama traded her sweater for a Robe and now she's wearing the clothes of Heaven.

"But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21

HALLELUJAH!
PRAISE THE LORD AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

Donna Selma Lind