Letters of Encouragement

Hi Liana, Desiree, and Uncle Dennis,

If it’s all right, I just wanted to share with you an experience I had this morning in the hopes that it might encourage you and your family. I am very sorry that I did not have the opportunity to know your mother better, but the few times we did meet and converse are very precious to me, as she was extremely kind and gentle in every way. Compassion is few and far between these days, and thus worthy of being cherished forever wherever it is found.

This morning they began the closing worship set at church like normal. Though I’m ashamed to admit it, my mind was already wandering to what sort of groceries I needed to pick up at the store on my way home and the million things I had to do this Sunday before work started the next day. Then, at the very end, they played the song “O Praise Him” originally performed by the David Crowder*Band. It’s a song I have heard many a time before so the words came almost mechanically when it started.

In the first verse of the song, they sing the lines, “The sound of angels’ songs.” In Matthew, Christ promised that when two or more were gathered in His name, He would be there. There have been a few times in my life when I have indeed experienced the radical presence of God and it’s been tremendous. This time, though, it was far different than anything that I’ve ever had the privilege of feeling before.

When that line came across the lyric screen and the words passed my lips, everything suddenly fell away and I started sensing something deep and profound. In that moment, when singing about how the angels are also singing, I felt heaven open up and collide with earth, like the saints and angels gathered around the Heavenly Father’s throne were singing the same words, too, in time with all of those gathered there in that sanctuary. The chorus goes on to say, “O praise Him, for He is holy,” and I felt like all the universe was reverberating with that statement over and over, that everyone, those still on earth and those already returned to the Creator, were singing in time.

In all that, though, I truly and honestly felt your mother’s presence. There was a spirit of utter, blissful joy there—peace, happiness, and praise. It was as real as if I could see her with my physical eyes. I knew she was standing there at the wounded feet of Christ and singing those words too, that He is Holy, that she was raising a joyous noise for our King. And in that moment I was so overwhelmed with the sense that she was so incredibly happy, smiling, with shining eyes. I felt that she was so real even amidst the thousands upon thousands of saints and angels standing their praising the Lord. It was so poignant, so powerful, so direct…I can’t even describe it. And in a way, it made me envious that I wasn’t there worshiping at the Father’s feet too, and yet so understanding of the fact that she was present, always, and not really gone.

I’ve heard it said that Christ is the bridge between heaven and earth, life and death, that His sacrifice makes it so that those two realms, the mortal and immortal, don’t have to be separate. I don’t think I really understood that until today, that God is real and those saints of His that He calls home are with Him—and with us, too, in that cloud of witnesses that Hebrews promises stands about us and cheers us on until it’s our turn to bow at His feet in heaven.

I want you to know that you and your family’s strength, hope, faith, and love over the past few weeks has been both encouraging and convicting to me, in an incredible way that’s really helped me realize so many important things about my own life and faith. Thank you for sharing this. Thank you for helping me see. I pray for you and your family constantly, but I ultimately know that God loves you all so much more than any words can express.

Thank you so very much.

With love,

- Malia Rose