by LaNelle Martin
My mother-in-law, Helen Martin, left her life on earth on July 31, 2022. She was a woman with a special heart for children, raising her 10 natural children and adopting 13 children with special needs. The last few months of her life were difficult for her physically. At one point after she came home from the hospital she was stronger and able to offer a prayer during a family phone conference. That prayer gave me a great deal of comfort at the time and during the following weeks up to her passing. Part of the prayer was something like, “God, we trust you, whether it’s just for a few days or for many years. ” Mom’s prayer demonstrated her faith, not in herself or anything on this earth, but in God. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. That was the confidence and assurance that Mom had in God, knowing that He would be faithful to His word no matter what. It was this faith that helped her when she was close to death. Hebrews 11 goes on to describe this kind of faith and give examples of people who had it. It says they were living as strangers on earth and longing for a better country, a heavenly one. And it says, “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a place for them. But Mom’s faith wasn’t just good for helping her die. It was what helped her live her entire life. It affected the decisions she made. It gave her endurance and peace through hard times. Hebrews 12:1 challenges us to have this kind of faith. It tells us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” and “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” An author is one who comes up with an idea and develops it, writing a book. A finisher is one who completes and finalizes everything. God started Mom’s faith, and He brought it to completion in her life. Like Helen did, we can allow God to give us a faith not only for dying well, but for living well.
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