The Lord's Robin Redbreast

The minister and organist came to a close, and the coffin bearers took each their place. The hour of “earth to earth, dust to dust” had come. My friend took my arm, holding me closely as we walked behind the coffin toward the grave. And strangely --- the birds seemed to follow us and sang right above us as directed by an invisible conductor. A robin redbreast, mother’s most favorite bird, sat on a branch right above the coffin, singing.

It was by this little robin redbreast that the Lord calmed my “tsunami” and brought peace and a gentle joy, like a faint dawning, into my heart. Only He and I knew of my mother’s delight in this little feathered creature; surely it was He Who commanded one to sing for my mother on her last journey.

We arrived at the grave site in this particularly beautiful cemetery mother had chosen for her final resting place. Flanked by two tall deciduous trees whose branches form a leafy canopy over the grave the site proved to be a particularly choice place. Who but our loving Father in heaven could have set aside such a lovely resting place for my beloved mother?

The reality of G-d’s tender care, steadfast love and great faithfulness began to rise again in my heart like the sun after a dark, dark night. In fact, the sun shone right down on us and on this grave while her body was returned to the earth from which it had been taken. 

When it was all over we proceeded to my friend’s home together with two ladies who had also cared for my mother. We enjoyed the traditional meal after a funeral my friend had prepared.

Love - Like Faith - Is An Act

I must speak about her, because she was and is G-d’s angel in my life who has the Lord’s teachings engraved on the tablets of her heart. I don’t know what I would have done without her these last 2 decades: whatever my mother and I needed, whatever help, she was G-d’s minister on our behalf year after year. Yet she thinks of it as something that goes without saying, making no fuss about it. 

She just has always been there for us, consistently throughout the years, even after my mother in a strange fit had accused my friend to the whole neighborhood of a vile deed my friend is utterly incapable of who is righteous and honest to a fault. 

The Lord was at my side through her and I pray that He will do as He promised: blessing her with a triple blessing that will be far above and beyond what she could have ever hoped or imagined. She has never done any of her kind deeds expecting a return, intimating payment. In fact, the only way I could ever leave a financial blessing was by doing it secretly, inside a thank-you card, placing it in my room immediately before my departure.

I mention her because it has been by her deeds that she has always manifested G-d’s love and care for me and my mother. Once again she demonstrated G-d’s tender care at my mother’s funeral.