SING PRAISES UNTO THE LORD
When I was in grade school, living in Honduras, the custom at the time of a person's death was to be buried within 24 hours because of the heat and humidity. Relatives, friends, schoolmates, etc. would all go and view the body at the home, (there were no funeral parlors) before going to the cemetery.
On one such occasion, my 6th grade class went to view an uncle of one of the kids. When it was my turn to go by the casket, the body had a muscle spasm (this was common due to the heat) and his head was moving back and forth. I was really scared and had nightmares for months. As I got older, I knew better, but still did not like to view bodies at funerals because I had this fear that I might see something move. I'm not afraid of death at all, in fact, I look forward to being with Jesus. Yet, I still dreaded going to funerals because of this fear.
We had the privilege of being with Mom Smith when she went to be with the Lord Jesus. During the last two days of her life, she suffered a lot because of cancer filling her with fluid and causing terrible muscle spasms. Her medicine was only working for 1/2 hour to one hour and we would have to wait for at least 1/2 hour more before we could give her more medicine.
She would start muscle spasms from her neck down and we would be completely helpless. I was praying for the Lord Jesus to calm her down and take the fear away because Mom would panic, since she couldn't understand what was happening.
I believe that the Holy Spirit put the thought in my mind to sing "Jesus Loves Me" to her. As soon as I started singing, she instantly calmed down. The fear went out of her eyes and her body stopped twitching. I continued singing and quoting scripture until we could give her next dose of medicine that would keep her calm for about an hour.
Every time this same sequence of events occurred, during the long night, we sang, and every time the calmness and peace would come to her and to us. What POWER in the name of JESUS!! At 8:40 Monday morning, the spasms started again. Dick and I started singing and I told her not to be afraid because she would soon be with Jesus. I had my arms around her and was singing when all of a sudden she got the most beautiful, peaceful look and smile on her face, and we knew she had just arrived into her Heavenly Father's arms.
It made such an impression on me that all the old fear disappeared from my inner being and gave me a new excitement about going to be with Jesus. So many times we bear nice stories about the Power of Jesus' name, but this time I experienced it in circumstances that I could not control. It was thrilling and awesome to know that I have such power because I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ!
1989
Marge Smith
"Praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises to our God." Psalm 147:1