"As For Me And My House"

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15

Joshua said these words to the Israelites thousands of years ago, yet they still ring true today. Every generation, every tribe and nation, every family, every individual must make this choice at some point in their lives.

Whom are you going to serve?

It's a very simple question. The answer, however, seems to trip up a lot of people.

I'm so incredibly thankful my parents made the right choice when they were young adults. Both were raised in Christian homes, but like me, there came a day when they had to choose for themselves whom they would serve. The God of their parents had to become the God of their heart.

On May 13, 2013, the day after Mother's Day, my precious Mom went to be with her Lord. She went Home. After 11+ years of living with Alzheimer's, her body finally gave up the fight. But Mom -- Annabelle -- lives on in her heavenly home. How do I know? Because Jesus said we would, if we but believe in Him. In John 14:1-2 he said, "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you."

That very day Jesus was already making preparations for Mom's home-going. And He was preparing for mine too. These bodies were not made to last. We will all die eventually. Psalm 139:16 tells us God knows all the days ordained for us before we're even born. Mom and Daddy both were given 85 years to do the work God intended for them to do before their time on earth came to an end. Time is not in our hands.

Driving away from the cemetery, leaving Mom there, was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. Even though my heart knows it was just her shell, or "tent" as the apostle Paul called our bodies, I couldn't help but feel like we were all abandoning her. I gained a measure of peace when she was laid to rest in the same grave site as my Dad, a WWII veteran buried in the National Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Couples share a grave if they want, and Mom and Dad are now resting with each other until God resurrects us all on that blessed day that is hopefully not too far in the future.

I know for certain I'll see my Mom and Dad again one day. I know this because they answered Joshua's question with the same answer he gave that day. It's the same answer I've given as well.

"As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Thank you, Mom and Dad! I'll see you on the other side! Love you both!!