My mom called me a couple of days ago to tell me about a really close family friend who was on her death bed. Yvonne had been terminally ill for over a year, and the time had come when the doctor gave her just days to live. Yvonne loved Jesus with all of her heart; she was one of those “quiet servants” who often did the little things that sometimes go unnoticed.
Well, she had been unconscious in the hospital for a while, and she woke up at one point and told her family that the angels were here and it was time for her to go home. She went back to being unconscious for a while, until Tuesday night when my parents had brought some subway sandwiches to the hospital for them. Yvonne hadn’t moved at all since she the time she told them all that Jesus was calling her home, but as they were finishing up dinner, Yvonne had kicked her leg and her eyes blinked. This got everyone’s attention, so they all gathered around her, whispering last words of love and comfort. The lung therapist started to cry, as he recognized this to be the physical sign that she had hours if not only minutes left to live.
“Tell me the story of Jesus” was Yvonne’s favorite hymn, and they had brought the music to the hospital to sing at some point. This seemed to be the right time. The Holy Spirit took control of the moment and led everyone to use their gifts and take part in a moment he had plan since He created Yvonne: the time when she would be united with Him in heaven forever.
Mom and dad began singing the song, as her sister began praying over her and they all gathered around in reverence of the moment, silently praising God and mourning their loss, knowing they would miss her but thankful she was going to be with God. Mom told me that just as they sang the last line of the third verse, Yvonne took her last breath here on earth and went to be with Jesus. It was a moment she said she would never forget.
