There's a new singer in Heaven's choir tonight...

My darling Mum died this afternoon, quietly and peacefully, after the struggle and anxiety she'd experienced in her last few days. I was able to sing to her for part of her last hour on earth, including some of her favorite songs. They'll have even more meaning for me now.

I'll miss her terribly, but I'm grateful she's no longer struggling with the anxiousness and inability to communicate that were part of her last few days.

One of the songs I sang to her was a funeral hymn I wrote a few years ago. The first verse of it is inscribed on her urn, which was made by a potter/artist friend.

Like a crocus on the prairie,

Like a rose in midst of thorn,

Hope can flower in the desert,

Help us bear what must be borne.

Hope can trust, whatever happens,

Christ is with us to the end --

Saviour, Guide and Stay forever,

Comforter, and trusted Friend.

(copyright scb)