Isa's Eulogy - Part One

Hebrews 12: 2 "Run with endurance the race God has set before you by keeping your eyes on Jesus, the Champion Who perfects our faith, Who endured the cross because of the joy awaiting Him."

Isa's Eulogy - Part One

On July 19, 2017 my mother-in-law, Elisabel Fernandez, died after a 17-day battle with lymphoma.  I immediately knew I would speak at her Memorial Service, and for the next few DEVOs I will be sharing the words God put on my heart.  (What follows is the unedited version).

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The Fernandez family is experiencing shock right now due to the sudden and unexpected loss of our beloved Isa.  She went into the hospital July 2, 2017, and we all thought it would be to get better, not to prepare to go to heaven. 

The official diagnosis was B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.  Nevertheless, her oncologist was optimistic:  Remission possible with aggressive treatment, and Isa agreed to a port, which is a surgically inserted device that allows for optimal delivery of drugs.  Her cardiologist said her heart wasn't strong enough for "the poison," and he set up a series of drugs to help stabilize blood pressure and rhythm.   Her nephrologist said her kidneys needed help for the chemo to do its job, and that he would do a stent procedure if Isa wanted it, which she did.  The internist said a picc-line, which is a catheter inserted directly into the veins, would be necessary for her to get the proper nutrition. And so began a flurry of activity to get her better. Isa was on-board and ready to fight.  

Within a few days, however, it seemed like the doctors could not reach a consensus on what the priority should be. Some felt the chemo would be too brutal and take her life before the cancer would. Others felt that it was worth a shot. And so began a roller coaster ride of different doctors with different opinions and all the while my mother-in-law, the heart and soul of our very close family,  was deteriorating.

It didn't take long for me to start questioning. Sometimes over the course of just one day I would be so sure she would be here five years down the line only to lose hope and start preparing myself for her departure into glory.

At one point I asked my Lord to forgive me for having so many doubts and so many questions. As a family our mantra quickly became: We believe, help our unbelief.  I, along with everyone in the family, struggled  to keep the faith. 

And then Jesus whispered to my heart:

Yenisita (That's what He calls me): "Have you ever doubted that the eternity you are hoping for won't happen?"

"No, my Lord."

"Do you have assurance in your soul that even though you can't see it yet that heaven  is real? That I am real? That the place I have prepared for your mother is real?"

"Yes, my Lord, I do - we all do.  We have never doubted it."

So with that said, it humbles me to say the  Fernandez Family has the strongest faith I have ever  seen. 

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I'll leave it there for today because it's worth thinking about.  No matter what doubts we have, or how many questions circle around in our heads, we must be absolutely certain that no matter the outcome on this earth, our final destination is with Jesus.  If we can have that assurance in our heart, then we can look beyond this present suffering to the ultimate glory that awaits.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Our faith falters at times, but not when it comes to the most important truth in our lives: Our ultimate and glorious destination is with You.  Fill us with joy and peace as we meditate on this reality.  In fact, the only way we can even live is by keeping our eyes on Jesus and the glorious future we have with Him. If He can endure the cross because of the joy that would be His, then we know He will help us carry our crosses too. Amen~