The World Through My Shoes is my look at living this incredible gift God has given us. As a busy wife, mother and daughter I relish the alone time I receive on my early morning runs. It is in the stillness of those predawn mornings where I often am inspired. Thank you for taking the time to read my words.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Healed

The calendar reads Tuesday and it's my first run since Mom died. The dark winter morning hides me in it's quiet.  There is no rain and I realize I have no idea what the weather has been like for the last 5 days.

The day after Christmas our bedside vigils began; a Thursday.  The four of us children and my brother in law were there each day and rotating the nights.  Dad never left her side.   Aunt Mari and her daughter, our cousin, Vicki completed the circle around Mom.


My mind wanders in this pre-dawn darkness as I run the route I've run hundreds of times before. I reflect on Psalm 23.

Yea though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death
I fear no evil for You are with me.

Mom walked in that valley for 6 months.  In July after receiving the news the cancer had metastasized, she never once complained. With the shadow of death looming, she knew a shadow is not cast without Light; the darker the shadow the brighter the Light ahead.

And that valley was dark.  For all of us.


Sunday afternoon we were finally able to reach Pastor Henry Numan.  For 17 years he walked with my parents on their journeys through cancer.  Somewhere in that walk he stopped being a pastor and became a friend.  A friend Mom talked to often in her last months.  She never left his conversations without feeling encouraged and given a dose of God's great comfort.

Henry called after receiving our messages and had cleared his calendar to be there first thing Monday morning.  15 minutes later he called back asking if he could come now.  "Please", we responded.  He made the 45 minute commute - through the Canadian border - quickly.


The last few days of Mom's life I had witnessed some very loving moments, ones that will stay with me forever.  Watching Henry with Mom will be one of those forever moments.  Despite Mom no longer being responsive, he leaned over her and quietly repeated her favorite Bible verses.  He gave her words of comfort reminding her of the greatness of heaven that awaited her.

My Dad, brothers, sisters, aunt, cousin and I sat in a circle around her bed; where we had been for the last 40 hours.  After talking to Mom, Henry sat down in the chair near the foot of her bed.  He asked if we could pray.  We bowed our heads where each of us were sitting, I on the floor at the foot of my Dad's chair.

As he said "Amen", we all saw Mom had become pale; only two earthly breaths remained.  Sunday night, December 29 she walked out from the shadow of death and into the Light.  Mom was Home.

Sometime later that evening, Pastor Numan and I had a few quiet moments together.  I told him Matthew 18:20 had come to my mind,
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.  

"Pastor Numan, I can't help but reflect on while we prayed together, Jesus was here.  He tells us this very clearly in Matthew.  And as you said amen, I can only imagine Jesus looking at Mom and saying, 'Come on Kathy, you're coming with Me.' and He took her home."  We smile through our tears at such the thought.

I turn into the neighborhood in which I live.  My body exhausted from the last several emotional days, but renewed by running a few miles alone.  A light goes on in my neighbor's kitchen, the light spilling out into the darkness outside.  I wipe a tear from my eye.  My run is almost over as I turn left onto my street and I head toward home; just like Mom.


September 6, 1942 - December 29, 2013
Katherine Miedema
September 6, 1942 - December 29, 2013

 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8



8 comments:

  1. Thank you for such a BEAUTIFULLY written post.
    She was a dear lady!
    I'm so sorry for your loss.....what a blessing that you were able to be there with her & the BEST blessing is that you WILL see her again!!
    Praying for your family!
    -Traci

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    1. Thank you Traci. We have such great hope knowing this is not the end. Although I miss her tremendously, I would never wish her back here leaving the cancer free, pain free body she has now. Thank you for your prayers.

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  2. I read this with tears in my eyes in part because of your wonderfully written words, in part because of the wonderful person your mom was and how she shines through you, and in part of my own experience watching my mom in a position like yours in support of her mom while my Grandma battled cancer when I was a child, and later during the last week of my Grandpa's life. Those amazing moments that shine when the world is dark are powerful. I thought of you at New Year's and my wish for you this year are an abundance of moments when something reminds you of your mom and it brings a smile to your face. Big hugs my friend. - Tassie

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    1. Tassie, we were blessed with so many bright and beautiful moments in her last days. Most I will hold close to my heart, yet I know Mom would want others to know just how big God showed up in her final moments. I hang on to your New Year's wish for me as it makes me tear up just thinking of it. Thank you my friend.

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  3. Very loving and so appreciate your sharing these last intimate beautiful moments with your Mom. You and your sisters will carry on her legacy of a Christ centered wonderful person! May God be with you all as you adjust to life without her. My prayers continue. Diane Zandstra

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    1. Mom left a huge legacy for us and we are blessed beyond measure to be given a first hand glimpse of her faith. God is good. Thank you for your prayers Diane, we can feel them so strongly in our sadness.

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