And then there is Mom...

I told you about Wilma, who can't wait to go to heaven.

Well, my own mother is also 92, but in contrast to Wilma her body is in great shape for her age. Not only does she get around without any problem but she also looks years younger than her actual age. And she is in no hurry to go to heaven.

But she also lives in a nursing home. In spite of having a young body she has an old brain. She has dementia. Her mind tells her that she is still young and her children are small. She needs to go home so she can cook for her children who are coming home from school hungry. Her reasoning power has flown the coop so there is no use in trying to tell her the facts of reality. Even if she understands what you say for the moment, in the next moment she has already forgotten what you just said.

Among her five children I am her only daughter. She has all but forgotten that she has a daughter and she thinks I am her sister. Her concern is for her four boys. In her mind they must be absolutely helpless. In the rare moments when she is able to understand that they are all grown up, she will be greatly comforted when I tell her that they are all married, (because they need someone who can cook and take care of them).

No, she is not ready to go to heaven yet. She still has a family to raise. Sometimes her mind goes even further back and she asks how her parents are doing.

So, one has a useless body and a working mind, and wants to go and meet Jesus. The other has an able body and a mind that cannot grasp reality, and who is not ready to let go of this life yet.  This is an enigma, and only God has the answer. All we can do, and must do, is to trust Him.