This morning, I paid my respects to my maternal grandmother in front of the niche where her ashes are kept at the Cape Collinson Columbarium in Hong Kong. She died in 1984, a year before her first great grand-daughter was born.
She was my beloved âpor porâ (Cantonese for maternal grandmother), whom I adored and cherished. I remember the amazing twinkle in her eyes, her voice and her special smell, a combination of sandalwood (as she used to have sandalwood in her wardrobe) and the talcum powder she applied. As I stood in front of her niche, I called aloud to her and could only say that we all missed her, and that I could only express my hope that she was resting in peace. I could not bear the thought of her being otherwise.
We will be celebrating Motherâs Day this month on May 11, and beyond the lunches, gifts, tributes on Facebook and phone greetings, it will be wonderful if we can pause and lift up our loved ones to the Heavenly Father â that they may be assured of salvation and eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sharing the Gospel with our loved ones, living lives that are a worthy witness to Christ, and praying for the Holy Spirit to convict their hearts that they might have salvation â this is perhaps the best gift that we can give this coming Motherâs Day, and the following month, Fatherâs Day. It is a gift that will last for all eternity, a gift that will bring an assurance of peace and joy, even after the final goodbyes.
Celebrating our loved ones while they are with us is a natural extension of the love we have for them â but how much more the joy will be if we know that they have received the Gift of Salvation, and that we will be reunited in the life beyond.
Picture courtesy of Christina Stanley
Christina Stanley is the Editor of Methodist Message and has been a member of Wesley Methodist Church since 1987.