What IS Mary's Message?

Some of you saw this poster when you came to Mom's memorial service or visited with us prior.  These were the exact words we found in the folder with her plans and wishes; her message to family and friends.

Death is part of living - 

Living with Jesus in my life each day

Then when God says so,

I'm ready to take His hand and go with Him

to heaven to live there forever.

When you hear that I'm dead,

know that I'm more alive than ever before.

I'll have a new body with new feet, spine and lungs.

So don't be sad,

but rejoice!

I've made it home to be with Jesus!

Forever! With NO MORE PAIN!

There are elements of this message I'm still processing, like the first part.  How can death be part of living?  Is this the living we do with memories of death and those we sorely miss? How can dying be a part of living with Jesus? Did Mom have to die to the desire to be pain-free and trust Jesus with the pain? Did the Prince of Peace have more room available in her for Himself as she "died" to her own expectations and desires?   Is this where her peace came from? 

With it being the Christmas season, I'm now wondering if Mary the mother of Jesus could have said similar words at the end of her life?  We are told she pondered everything that happened in her heart, probably going over the facts of Jesus' miraculous conception and birth to connect with his adult choices and destiny. Was there emotional pain connected with being the mother of Jesus? 

Did Mary the mother of Jesus have to die to her own expectations and dreams for her oldest son? Did she have to let go of expectations for Jesus to support her as a young widow and release him for ministry? How did she live with the memories of witnessing such a brutal death?  How did she process the experience of then seeing her son alive after three days? Would Mary have had the hope of being reunited with Jesus at the time of her own passing?  Just wondering if she could have said similar words to her family and friends.

The Virgin Mary surrendered to God's plans, even when others would misunderstand her unplanned pregnancy.......  My Mom surrendered to her physical limitations, accepting the daily choice of what to focus on when in pain.......I surrender when I let go of too high expectations, especially those I place upon myself.

Mary followed her instinct to spend time with cousin Elizabeth, receiving encouragement and knowledge about having a baby.......My Mom followed her instinct to reach out to anyone hurting, walking with them in friendship as a way to encourage and teach......I'm glad I followed my gut instinct to book time off work, receiving information and love from my sister that I needed before saying good-bye to Mom.

Mary experienced the amazement of seeing the touch of God working through the words and actions of their shared son Jesus........My Mom was continually telling stories of "God Sightings" as she called them, sharing the wonder of God showing up in the ordinary........All November long I kept seeing pieces fitting together in a way that only God could have been a part of, confirming that we were all being loved on this journey.

Mary had the struggle of letting Jesus go do the work of his Heavenly Father, even as a homeless person........My Mom had to let go of controlling us as her children, allowing us to learn through our choices and develop our own inner strength.......I have to let go of the need to see and understand end results before starting into something new.

Mary had to suffer pain and loss as she witnessed the abuse and death of her beloved son Jesus.........My Mom had to witness the struggles of her own mother who showed symptoms of the same disease and had the added suffering in her last days of broken bones.......I had to witness Mom's struggle to breath that resulted from the end stages of pulmonary fibrosis leading to death.

Mary was filled with joy to know that God was using her to birth His son, even if she couldn't understand the big picture till later.......My Mom was filled with peace and joy sensing God's presence with her even during her last days of struggle, seeing Him bring the family together......I have the peace that comes from knowing God is giving me strength and courage to walk each new day with its challenges.