PARTING WORDS

Parting words are important--at least some parting words.

I remember being in the hospital with my mom, just a day or so before she died (at almost 100 years of age. I was sitting beside her, holding her hand, and she was in and out of consciousness. I was watching t.v., when I heard her rouse and say, "His name is Cecil. That's it. His name is Cecil."

My father's name was Cecil. He had passed away about 12 years before this. What was she doing at the time? I suspect that she was dreaming of leaving this earth--remembering who she would see when she got to be with the Lord. And one of those people--a very special person--would be my dad, "His name is Cecil."

What I suspected was that she was laying there in that hospital bed. When she woke up, she found someone holding her hand--someone she knew that loved her--and a man who looked familiar to her. (That was me.) But it reminded her of her beloved husband who had gone on before her--where and to whom she was preparing to go. And all of a sudden it dawned on her, "His name is Cecil. That's it."

Those were the last words I heard from my mom. The last cherished words, for I too loved my dad. It was a reminder that one day, I too, will join Cecil and my mom, Vesta, in a wonderful place with joy and peace and other loved ones and fellow believers in Christ. For now, it is a reminder of those I love who have gone before me--of the wonderful memories I have of them--of their love and care for me.

I am thankful for heaven. I am thankful for Jesus. I am thankful for a God who gives us loving memories and a wonderful hope to look forward to. But most of all, I am thankful, "His name is Jesus. That's it. His name is Jesus." I will be with others, because of Jesus, the one whose name means "salvation."