Goodbye, Rosy ... For Now

I just received a midnight call from my nephew about an hour ago. It’s the type of call that none of us as human beings want to receive. It was to inform me that his mom … my sister for 71 plus years had passed away.

This will be the only grieving I will do because I am happy. Please let me explain.

Rosy and I were three years apart, she was my baby sister. Although we were never really close emotionally or, for the most part, geographically ... we knew that we cared for each other and communicated as we could.

As she began her battle with cancer some months ago, we stayed in touch more and in the last few months, Tim, her son, had started a newsletter to keep her loved ones informed. I called her a couple times a week and we prayed for her at our church regularly along with many others around the country. Although serious from the onset … we thought the battle had been won when it took a turn for the worse a couple weeks ago and one week ago she entered hospice care.
 
I began to worry about the most important thing in my heart and mind … did my sister believe that Jesus Christ her Savior had died to save her from her sins. Although she was involved in church having been a professional pianist, organ player and choir director at several different churches, I wasn‘t sure. I needed to know if she had accepted the Lord and if not, I wanted to be there to show her the way. I made the six hour trip to Tacoma, Washington and was there to see Rosy the day she entered hospice care. Although we hadn’t been that close in life, I wanted to know that we would be together in Heaven.
 
It was sad seeing Rosy, not quite conscious, lying there. I kissed her and held her hand and told her I was there. She squeezed my hand in return. We had an ongoing joke where I would introduce her at our annual birthday gathering as my “older” sister. It went so far that she would bring her birth certificate to show everyone. So, as she lay there I told her … “OK, I admit it … you are my YOUNGER sister!” She smiled and mumbled that it was … “about time I admitted it.”

The next day, after a night of praying and reading all the comfort passages in the Bible I could find, I took my youngest daughter with me and we went to see Rosy. Her son, daughter and daughter-in-law hadn't arrived and we were alone with her. I wasn’t sure she would be conscious enough to hear us but she was quite attentive and even asked for some ice cream which we were able to feed her.
 
She was hurting and asked for something more for the pain. Then, she looked at me and mumbled something about God. I leaned closer and asked what she had said and she said, “God will take care of me.” After all the agonizing, praying and preparation I had done through the night, I didn’t have to open my mouth. I held her hand and asked, “Rosy, have you received the Lord as your personal savior?”

Her answer was the sweetest words I had ever heard from her as she said, “Yes, I have.” Tears of joy rolled down my face as I watched her give in to the medication and go to sleep.

That was three days ago. According to Tim, she hadn’t said much after that and was having trouble breathing. So, tonight I got the call … my baby sister has shed that diseased, painful body and has flown away to be with Jesus. And, I am having a hard time wiping the smile off my face because I am at peace. I know we will be together for all of eternity … Dad, Mom, little Arthur who died at age one, me and Rosy … my baby sister.

Larry Abele - Editorial Team