I met Atha at our church one Sunday morning. She and her husband were visiting for the first time. A friend made it a point to introduce us after she found out that Atha had a wealth of education and experience with special needs individuals. And since our adult son has special needs, this friend just knew I needed to meet Atha.
And did I ever need to meet Atha! We instantly clicked that morning. Plans were made to meet later that week for a coke and conversation. We became fast friends.
Our friendship was about so much more than special needs. We shared deep conversations and spiritual fellowship mixed with loads of laughter. Our families became friends as we shared meals together and celebrated life events. We walked with each other through deep waters and shed tears for our own and each other’s heartaches. I don’t even know how many times Scott and Atha showed up at our door with encouragement and a pie. Pie made everything better!
Atha had a stroke near the end of 2015. She was sent to rehab after a hospital stay, but recovery was slow due to other health issues. I went to see her one day and got to her room just as she was being wheeled out to a waiting ambulance. She was taken to the hospital.
I would visit her and read to her from the Psalms. She couldn’t talk much but she would smile as best she could and nod her approval as God’s word soothed her heart.
I was shopping not long after Atha’s hospitalization when my phone rang. Atha’s daughter told me that Atha was being placed on end-of-life care. I thought I must not be understanding the message correctly, but I wasn’t. We sat with the family, crying, laughing as Atha would have wanted, and saying our goodbyes.
I woke up on Easter Sunday and looked outside at a late season snow. And I got the call from Atha’s son. She was in heaven.
What a beautiful day it was for Atha to take her last breath!
As I stood by her bed later and held her lifeless hand, I knew that she was, in reality, full of life.
Because of Easter I knew that death was not the victor here. Jesus defeated death and rose again. That’s what we were celebrating on that Easter Sunday.
Through my tears, I knew that I would see Atha again because of Jesus’ resurrection. Death holds no sting and the grave holds no victory!
Atha never got to go home after her stroke but now she was in the best home, safe and healed.
Home for Easter because of Easter.
He Said What?! 