LIFE ISALWAYS SORROWAND JOY In a time of sadness and loss, there can be profound moments of spiritual happiness too, says Angie Jones
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n the midst of the turmoil in 2020 my mother-inlaw became ill. She was in and out of hospital and for much of the time we couldn’t see her. Then in December we had the telephone call we’d half expected. The doctors didn’t think she had long to live. Margaret had been moved into a side room and we were allowed to visit. The next day we drove the 130 miles to Chichester, preparing ourselves for we knew not what. Margaret was sitting up in bed and recognised us as we approached. Initially she was cross because she had to be in hospital and she demanded that we ‘get her out!’ But it wasn’t long before
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we were talking about old times and she relaxed into the conversation. Now it’s confession time. I haven’t always found my mother-in-law easy to get along with. There have been some difficult moments over the years. But that afternoon became a holy time. She asked me to read Psalm 23 and when I got to the last line something quite beautiful happened. ‘Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil….For You are with me….’ I read, ‘Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,’ I continued with a faltering voice and as I paused, Margaret whispered:
‘And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’ It was as if the Holy Spirit of God came for she began to say deep, important things that we’d never heard from her lips before; affirming words: an admission she wished she’d known us better; and a thanks for all we’d done. Tears flowed with the healing of hurts. We had three hours together and as I left my husband to have a final time alone with his mum, I kissed her forehead and thanked her for all she’d done for us too. Later as we drove home, windscreen wiper swishing away the rain, I said: ‘Now we can start again. The past has been dealt with and when we www.mothersunion.org
