A Note from Mum and a Kiss from Heaven

I came across the above note when I was rummaging through my closet yesterday.

I smiled, typical Mama. Every time she sent a present or package, it came with her signature note, either listing the contents or just a note of love and a prayer! ‘Love You Girl’ was her trademark sign off.

This was 6 years ago. Her words still touch me deeply. Always grateful to God and drawing us to recognize His grace in our lives.

It felt like a kiss from heaven this morning to remember how much she loved me. I remember how she managed to make each one of us feel like we were special without necessarily courting favourites. (off course her last baby was a different story!) Oh, the blessing of a loving, godly mother!  I miss her so much but thankful for her time and investment in my life.

Mama is in heaven and if she could write to me, I know what she would say; “Eku, be grateful for every day and serve God with all you have”. This got me musing to myself on what it would be like if those on the other side could communicate to us. What would they tell us to do? To avoid? To treasure?

Thankfully we have One who walked with us on this earth and stepped on the other side and left us not just hints, but a whole guide on what we need to do, things to avoid and things to treasure  not only to live impactful and fruitful lives, but to ensure that when we are done here on earth,  we can receive a good reward for our works on earth and join Him in His Father’s house. There, we will be reunited with loved ones who have found a good rest in Him.

Seeing my Mother’s note brought back fond memories and a ray of sunshine into my day. She was a mere mortal and has no power to continue to shower me with love and watch my back like she used to. But thanks be to God, I have one who walked the earth, took my burdens to the cross, redeemed me from my sin and gave me His spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come! He gives me assurance of His love, reminders of His faithfulness and demonstrations of His power and might.

Jesus Christ our Saviour and Advocate, left us the legacy of His word to guide us and lead us back to Him. His carefully crafted Journal otherwise known as the Bible, chronicles God’s journey with man from the beginning of time and gives us a sneak peek into the end times as well.

God’s Word is that enduring kiss from heaven that assures us of His love and faithfulness. (But don’t be fooled, sometimes it can bolt us from our seats or slap us across the face when we need it!). His Word gives us assurance of His thoughts concerning us and provides guidance on how we can live lives that honour Him and will get us to where He is at the end of our lives.

Having a daily dose of His Word helps us to inhale His goodness, receive direction for our lives and anticipate all He has promised us. It’s only then that what we will be in a position to be a blessing to our neighbours. Love God with everything you’ve got and then love your neighbour as yourself. Jesus spelt that out for us in Matthew 22:37-39.

It’s kind of like the instructions I follow for one of my walk at home videos; as we raise our hands up high above our heads and stretch them outwards to our sides, the instructor calls out, “reach high, reach out” to the beat of music.  She calls it a perfect coordination for exercising the arms. One day it struck me that those words also summarise the required coordination for our lives as children of God.

Reach Up signifies our dependency and complete trust in God. When we are aligned with God and His will, we will be in a much better position to be a blessing to others. When we get the vertical right, the horizontal flows more easily.

Reach Up today, surrender to Jesus Christ. Trust in His grace, seek His face through prayer and His Word and receive His strength.

Then empowered from above, Reach Out, extend your arms to bless others, use your giftings to minister to the needs of others. Manifest all He has placed in you for His glory!

And yes, take a moment today, to reach for the Word of God, read about God’s thoughts of you, read about His desire to make you more like Him and celebrate His amazing love for you! There’s a delicious slice of scripture just waiting to feed your spirit, don’t deny yourself the pleasure; indulge and receive your kiss from heaven today!

(Psalm 19:9-11)