This past week, our dear mother, Mary Elizabeth Stroh, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She was 91 years old and ready, even anxious, to leave her old earthly tent and enter her new eternal home in heaven; For we know if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Corinthians 5:1)
We loved her and will, of course, miss her. But for us Christians, like Mom, physical death is not something to be feared or mourned and although there is naturally some sadness, it is not because we are sad for her; But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)
Our trust and our hope is in the Lord and His promise that we will someday be reunited with Mom and all those saints who have proceeded us to glory; Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by sight, not by faith-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 2:6-7)
Praise God-- Mom is home safe with the Lord and rejoicing in her eternal reward! Maranatha!