Cora Jane and I were in the backyard spray painting one of her room projects (I can’t wait to share her room after the RV Trip series) and she said,
“I would like some mail from Nannie.”
My throat clenched up and my heart ached (again).
My mom would often send the children stickers, pictures and sweet notes. Nothing big or expensive. Just small things with great love.
Just because.
Small things are big things, my friends.
(I’m going to go cry now… whew… I’m back.)
Then she looked at me and said, “I know she’s in heaven but she might want to send us something.” I was starting to explain that heaven didn’t work like that, but she looked at me and said, “I know God is very busy, but he loves us so much and he can do anything. REALLY. Like lift a skyscraper. And if God is too busy, then He can send His angels to deliver the mail from heaven. REALLY. They do errands for Him, ya know. And I really think Nannie wants to send us something.”
Well, golly-gee. What the ef’ am I supposed to say to that????
So I sadly tell her, “You never know.”
And, well, we don’t know.
My head says, dead people can’t communicate from heaven. I believe there is no pain in heaven and if my mom knew how much pain we were in she would be in pain and that’s impossible. (There’s other reasons too, but that’s better for a conversation.)
But my heart says, God loves us so much and he can do anything… like lift a skyscraper. And He can send his angels to deliver messages… they do errands for Him, “ya know.”
The last time I hung out with my mom (before she fell) was some of the sweetest time we have ever had. What a gift!! She had just decided to come over to my house every Friday to help me and be with the kids. This was huge for me, and the kind of help I’d never had before. I was beyond excited. She fell a few days later and we never got to have our Fridays together.
After she was gone, Fridays were are the worst for me. I felt like I was mourning something that “should have been” every single week. The first two Fridays after she died were stormy and it even hailed. The weather made it even more heart wrenching because my Mom LOVED the rain and hail was always an exciting event. It hails so rarely here it is always a big deal. And having it hail so often was quite an event. I’d watch the hail on Fridays and daydream about what my mom and I would be doing if she had never fallen. But it wasn’t till after I read To Heaven and Back by Mary C Neal, MD that I thought that could have been a little mail from heaven.
One of our close friends gave me the book. (Or maybe she just let me borrow it. I better find that out.) The author, Mary, had a near death experience and then wrote about it. It’s a great book. But the part that hit my heart was about messages she received from her son and stepfather after they died – both were in the form of flowering plants that hadn’t bloomed before. May says, “I know that Willie send us a message that day through the roses; one of appreciation, love, gratitude, and a sense of apology for leaving.”
I wonder if that’s what happened to me as well. But it had to happen a few Fridays for me to understand. I’d like to think that my mom is saying that she’s sorry she had to leave but she’s OK… beyond OK, in heaven. What a comfort!
Maybe Cora Jane is right and Nannie does want to send her something. I can’t wait to see what it is!
Do you believe we can get messages mail from heaven?
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Since I’m going to use this as one of my personal bookclub posts. Here are some other thoughts on the book:
- Another theme in the book is Mary’s role as a working mom. She says that it’s “healthy and essential to re-evaluate this balancing act occasionally and make changes when needed.” I couldn’t agree more! If you’re feeling pulled in too many directions, re-evaluate and change. p37
- During her heaven experience, Mary describes reviewing her life. But instead of watching a movie of her experiences she was shown the impact of her actions, decisions and human interactions. Even up to dozens of times removed from the actual event. (Small Things are Big Things, folks!!) I think this is so interesting and a great perspective to have during our short lives here on earth. p57
- Mary talks about the period of time while she was going back and forth from heaven to her body and the people trying to revive her from drowning. I love how she uses the comparison to a child asking for more things before bed (you’ll have to read it to know exactly what I’m talking about). It also gave me comfort hoping that while my mom was so close to death for so long she was being held closely to Jesus and not scared or sad to leave us. p73
- Pray. Do it. Always. We are a living prayer to God. p94
- After her son, Willie’s, death Mary was surrounded by a wonderful community (just like we are) but she taped this “Daily Creed” to her fridge and I think it’s a great thing to remind yourself everyday. Below is hers, but you can make one specific to what hits your core. i.e. I believe God is real. I believe the number on my scale doesn’t measure my worth. I believe my children are gifts from God. I believe what I do matters to God.
Mary’s Daily Creed:
I believe God’s promises are true.
I believe heaven is real.
I believe nothing can separate me from God’s love
I believe God has work for me to do.
I believe God will see me though and carry me when I cannot walk.
Thanks for reading friends. Now I get to tell you, what you do matters. You are valuable to me and more to God. And I like you.
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Dayna says
Amazing words from Cora Jane. You have truly instilled a sense of God’s love and the Holy Spirit in her, Kara! Thank you for sharing all you do here on this blog. Love you, friend! Dayna
Tracy Fish says
I just wanted to thank you for sharing your stories with us! I love your mom and miss her every day, sometimes, for just a minute, I forgot that she’s not physically here with us any longer. She had so much to share and it just doesn’t seem like we had enough time with her. I know how badly I hurt for her and I can only imagine how that must feel for you and Betty, but when you write things like this, it reminds me that we serve an awesome and powerful God and His timing is perfect! I have no doubt that we can get “mail” from heaven and I think your post today was an example of that for me! Thank you Kara, you are a most amazing woman with an awesome gift that blesses so many of us!
Paige says
I 100% believe that our loved ones can send us “mail”. After my mom died, I planted some gardenia bushes (her favorite) in my front yard. For months I watered and waited for the first bloom. Nothing. Then on Mothers Day morning, I went outside to water the plants and right there in front of me was the first and only bloom. It was amazing! I really in my heart feel like it was a gift from my mom. My first Mothers day without her, it made the day just a little sweeter. The gardenia bushes never bloomed again after that one bloom.
betty palmer says
Cora Jane is beyond her years and grows more beautiful each day. I just love that child. I know that lonely feeling each day. Suzie is the last person I think about at night and the first person I think in the morning. I was blessed to be her mother just as you are blessed to be her daughter. I would love to tell you more about her. Let Cora Jane know I will be sending “things” but not from heaven. I only wish that were so. I love to see the children ‘s pictures —- they are lovely. Love, GG