Spiritual Family Reunion

​​​A Spiritual Family Reunion –
 Dedicated to my late mother Evelyn Edwards (a faithful servant of Yahshua the Messiah)
     ---By Sister Cathy Edwards

---

Mother Evelyn Edwards

It is often said – “When the matriarch or patriarch dies the family unravels.”  My late mother, Evelyn Edwards aka Tee Lena, was the eldest sibling in her family and she was a true matriarch.  I can remember my first cousin hugging me the day of her funeral and saying, “Now that Tee Lena is gone – the family will never be the same.”  Unfortunately, she was right.  My family has never had the cohesiveness that it had when my mother was alive.  As a matriarch she had the ability to call the family together in good times and in bad and everyone listened.

The last family reunion we had was July 4, 2008; and my mother was gravely sick from breast cancer and chemo treatments but yet she made it to the family circle to give her love, words of wisdom and encouragement to all that were gathered.  I marveled that even at her lowest she was the highest of women.  She had that innate ability to make everyone feel like they were special. 

---

She would pass away a year later and she gave me a gift as she laid dying.  When the home health nurse came that day my mother appeared to be sound asleep.  The nurse called her and woke her up.  My mother opened her eyes and looked startled and said, “You interrupted me!  I was walking down a beautiful street and you interrupted me!”  In the background I had gospel music playing on a cable station and Candi Staton’s “Mama” (listen to the song below). 

​The home health nurse was overwhelmed and started to tear up.  She told me to call the family.  My mother passed away that night with all her loved ones gathered around her bedside singing gospel hymns and celebrating her life.
               
We are soon to experience a Universal Family Reunion where all the members of Yahweh’s household will gather and sing praises to our Heavenly Father, Yahweh and his son, Yahshua!  We will be gathered in Yahrusalem above (Galatians 4:26) and we will all have one name (Ephesians 3:15).  Until then we must be in constant preparation not to miss so great a celebration!! I often wondered why it is death that brings families together and not life?  A child is born and a few call with congratulations and gifts.  Been when a matriarch or patriarch dies we all know we must be in attendance to witness their life and how they touched us individually.  Likewise, the spiritual family reunion began with Yahshua’s death, burial, resurrection and ascension back to the right hand of the Father for us to be gathered together again. 

The Apostle Paul wrote of this great spiritual family reunion on this wise in I Corinthians 15:13-28: “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Messiah not risen: And if Messiah be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of Elohim; because we have testified of Elohim that he raised up the Messiah: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.  For if the dead rise not, then is not Messiah raised:  And if Messiah be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Messiah are perished.  If in this life only we have hope in Messiah, we are of all men most miserable.  But now is Messiah risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in the Messiah shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: the Messiah the firstfruits; afterward they that are the Messiah's at his coming. 

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to Yahweh, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that Yahweh may be all in all.” 

So I’m looking forward to meeting my mother along that beautiful street and running into the kingdom with her to give Yahweh Elohim Yahshua glory throughout all eternity! 

​Shalom, my Sisters!

​​Sister Cathy Edwards is a long-standing minister in the Gospel of Yahshua The Messiah. Among her many titles, duties and responsibilities she is also a devoted mother, grandmother, and friend. In addition, Sister Cathy is a contributing writer and teacher at Yahshua University.com, where she, actively, fellowships.

---