After being told the news about the gravity of Rhoda's irreversible condition, we sat by her bedside and read her psalms, talked to her, and prayed over her. Before this, we had only been able to see her for a minute or two at a time. So this was the first opportunity we had to stay with her in her room. 

 

Once all the immediate family arrived, we gathered around her bed and sang "This is the day" (Rhoda's favorite song), "Great is thy Faithfulness", "How great Thou Art", and "When Peace Like a River." We then shared our memories of her. The final prayer was said, we recited The Lord's Prayer, and then she passed from this temporal life to eternal life. 

We rest our Hope in the God of our salvation. In our weeping there is joy. In our sadness there is hope. Our God is faithful to walk with us through this difficult journey. 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14: 1-4.