Dear Girls,
This is letter #3 about your mom. I’m sure your heart breaks in many ways at times when you think of her.
The huge disabilities. With absolutely no ability to serve her girls cake on your birthdays. Unable to pick up a pencil to show you how to do the math problem. Or clap when you swam your best in the pool.
The tears that must have flowed from her eyes when she badly wanted to give you hugs.
But, I want your thoughts to be wonderful of your mom, not filled will sadness. So, I share this letter with you.
You may wonder, “How did it come about that Ms. Toni would come once in a while and bring songs to your house.”
Your mom welcomed the songs and the music. They were a joy to her heart.
Her respirator alarm would go off while she was singing, but she sang anyway with all her breath.
And with the respirator, it was limited.But she sang with all her heart. God has a promise about that:
You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”Jer. 29:13.
God knew we needed each other, at this time of our lives. How I loved your mom.
I think of her often, her attitude, her faith.
The elders from the church came to anoint her with oil and pray the prayer of healing over her in the name of Jesus. That’s what we were all waiting for.
We all know the stories. We’ve heard them, they were taught to us, when Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!”(Acts 3:6). And we know that he took the man by the right hand and helped him up and the man’s feet and ankles became strong.
Your mom had faith to believe she would walk again, day in and day out.
We picture all this in our minds, that “He jumped to his feet and began to walk.”(Acts. 3:8). And we can see them as well, “walking and leaping and praising God” (Acts. 3:8), into the temple.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God,” (Rom. 10:17).
Your mom had believing faith.
She told me, when forced to go to the hospital because the Home Heath Care had expired, “I’m going to walk out of this hospital.”
Tears did flow from her eyes. I know. I had to wipe those precious tears and cry with her a time or two.
Incredibly, with her very next breath, she would say in that sweet, whispery voice, “God is working. He’s going to do something amazing real soon!”
Well, guess what? God did answer that prayer the elders prayed. Your mom was healed of everything. Everything spiritually and emotionally.
So let me tell you the story, so you can read it now and again, the day your mama was running.
Well, since God had set it all up, that your mom and I would meet two times a week while she lay motionless on a bed for weeks.
We were living the Word. It was really precious: Yep, we would Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; and talk of all His wondrous works, Psalm 105:2, and we would Seek the LORD and His strength; and Seek His face evermore.”,Ps. 105:4.
And we read the Song of Solomon together. So, going on a journey of the Song of all songs we began. Let me tell you, God was working, and He was doing something amazing everyday.
So, you see, I brought to the hospital along with my ‘Baby guitar’ my Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, Old Testament, Volume 2.
We discovered the King’s love for His maiden, (or Jesus’ love for you and me and for all the “whosoevers spoken of in John 3:16), and we felt like two schoolgirls together with giant ‘crushes’ on…Jesus.
Your mom and I were so enraptured like never before by the Love of our Bridegroom Jesus, how even though we were messed up and ‘dark’ with sin, (Song of Solomon 1:6), and we felt He shouldn’t look at us, the King said,
“I have compared you, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.” Song of Sol. 1:9.
Our King, our Love compares us to His prize possessions, (not a mule or donkey), and He says,
“Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, Your neck with chains of gold. We will make you ornaments, [braids] of gold…”(Song of Sol. 1:9-11).
The commentary told us that the King’s maidens wore headdresses with jewels and the “We will make you ornaments . . .” reminds us of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jon Courson then explained this verse, “We will make you ornaments, or braids of gold “, like this: “When we wonder what the Lord is doing during times of trial and testing, He is braiding us – His gold- through hard times of pounding and beating and shaping.” “What right does He have to pound on me and to beautify me in that way?” you ask.””
He said, “Read on.” So, read on we did. The song: “We will make you ornaments [braids] of gold with studs of silver.”(Song. of Sol. 1:9). Silver means redemption. Then the song continues, “While the king is at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance. A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, That lies all night between my breasts. . .
And we remember,’myrrh’. It was the spice that was brought to Jesus when He was a baby. It’s a burial spice. And we know the Table, the Table of communion that reminds us of His love that was poured out. Jesus died.
“A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,” the song goes. Yes, we hold our Jesus close to our hearts. He loves us ultimately.
Your mama and I experienced a bit of heaven on that morning together. So much love was poured out in our hearts that morning. Your mom couldn’t hold anything in her arms, but we both held Jesus.
Let Him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
Jon Courson did a great job reminding us that “you cannot kiss two people on the lips at one time.”And we thought, “Hmmm, very true.”
“Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth for Your love is better than wine.” And your mom and I learned that the word ‘wine’ in the Bible speaks of joy. So here in just the first two verses in the song this maiden is saying, “Lord, I am completely, absolutely, 100% Yours, and Your love is more to me than anything this world has to offer.”
I bet you are asking yourself, “Didn’t she mention ‘running’ in this letter? I am not seeing any ‘running!” You are right, but I had to get you ready for it.
Song of Solomon 1:4, “Draw me, and we will run after thee…”
Listen girls, spiritually and emotionally, on that day, together, I believe the Lord healed both of us emotionally.
Emotionally, Your mom wasn’t just walking and leaping, she was running.” We were both running after Jesus together.
God had drawn us both and we were running after Him. But I have to say, your mom was “smoking me” in that run to her Prince of Peace.
I know this is long, but you’ve got this for ‘now and again’ when you need to read about your amazing mom and what the Lord did for her mad me.
I write for you girls with great amounts of love. I pray that you may you be blessed, for now and again with these reminders.
Love,
Toni Rypkema