She maybe wasn't a saint, but she's my saint just the same.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:4-10, New International Version) 

          I was ready to write about doors today – the narrow door which Jesus said only the faithful would enter and pictures of all the doors we saw in the Czech Republic. Until it dawned on me that this is All Saints Weekend in the Church.

          At our church, the pastor reads the names of the parishioners who have left this world over the past year and the dates when they woke up as saints in heaven with Jesus, as the bell gongs for each of them. There are always a few people listed whom I knew personally, and I always get teary-eyed.

          I haven’t brought it up lately, but I’m sure you remember that my darling daughter died in August, ten weeks ago, the day before yesterday. The bell won’t chime at our church this weekend in her name, because she was no longer a member. But according to our pastor and according to God, when He clearly told me where Val is, she is in heaven in the arms of Jesus.

          I know many people she knew won’t believe that; they didn’t know Jesus as their Savior. And I know some people who knew the kind of life Val had been living won’t believe she could possibly be forgiven and saved. And I know that some will even think to themselves, “Poor Chris, she’s just a mother grasping in hope that she’ll see her baby girl again someday.”

          But I know what I know. It’s more than faith and hope; it is what I KNOW because I have faith and hope. I pray that whatever you might be suffering from, you have that kind of faith and hope, too.

You belong among the wildflowers

You belong somewhere close to me

Far away from your trouble and worries

You belong somewhere you feel free

(from “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty, 1994)

(words from the tattoo on her shoulder)