Lord, May Her Soul Rest in Peace

Dear Father,

I know this is a mystery that no matter what, we mortals will never understand-and that mystery is death. Some called it the passing over. But passing over to where?

Quite frankly, Father, it is not the passing over to where that puzzles me, but it is the manner and form in which our dear ones are usually taken away so quickly from us.

Look, it was just few days ago when my mother called that she wanted to come over to my house to spend some time. She was not sick, nothing. On the morning of July 8, while dressing to go and worship you and say thank you for ushering me into another week, the phone rang. It was my old man’s voice. “Your mother just fell off and we have rushed her to a clinic.”

“Okay, I will be there right after Church service,” I replied. My son… No, Father, just listen, because when ever these things happened it is said that it is your will, so let me speak my mind.

So, after service, I called and I was informed by my old man that she had not shaken nor spoken. In fact, she went straight into coma when she fell off. So upon arrival at the clinic, I requested a transfer to our village big hospital, (JFK) but she was refused upon arrival there. And so we headed for the Christian run Catholic Hospital where she was accepted and admitted with hope that she would had come thru, but by 9 pm Monday July 9, she had passed over.

Now, Father, this is a woman who suffered to ensure that I got educated with your help. She played a major role in my educational sojourn and it was now time that she reaps back some of her investments, but she is gone and who dare question you why. My son, you will never understand. You are to give thanks indeed for everything whether good or bad, for it is my will towards you.

Father, I agreed, because your good old book says your love towards us is not evil but to bring us to an expected end. Now, it was never my expectation that she would have been taken away in such a manner-yet, I can’t question you because of your will.

I remembered some years back in Charlie land, a friend of mine, we attended church together to worship you. The young man was at the age of 27 when he was about to graduate from the medical school as a medical doctor. In fact, his graduation was just few days away when he passed over.

At least for my mom, she fell off but with age in her favor, this young man just experienced a headache and within the next one day or two he was gone. All his efforts studying at the dormitory at night where the mosquitoes were specially trained, (like my friend James Nimely, now in Canada used to say whenever he visited me at the Dorm) went in vain, but who dare question you. A man or woman would complete a house and never have the opportunity to live in, but who dares question you.

So, Father, what is this thing called death that some even rejoice when others fall prey, while others are left mourning and disorganized and worst of all we mortals are never ready whenever it comes.

You see, my son, I understand quite well how you feel. And I love it when you speak your mind without fear or favor. But you see it is appointed unto you mortals to die once and after that judgment. What you do with the little time you have here matters most. The passing over of one of your kinds should be a wakeup call. It is time that you re-examine yourself.

Son, I understand how you feel about your mother, she had her own journey, the question as to how I deal with her is solely my reserve. Remember, I am the Lord thy God and I do whatever pleases me. What you should be grateful for is that I took her at the time you are able to stand on your own. But have you stop to think of others who are left behind at a very tender age that they have to be taken to an orphanage home? Or whose parents are taken away at birth?

And let me not remind you of how you had to suck the breasts of your aunties because of your mother’s poor health when she gave birth to you and I guarded you to survive. Yes, no man questions my will. I deal with man the way I wish differently from the other. Haven’t you read that there are different gifts? Why didn’t I give everybody the same gifts? But of all these, my plans for you still stand. Don’t you know before you were born I knew you and had a plan for you?

Father, I pray thee, say no more. My only request for her is that “may her soul rest in peace.”