Doreen Button

I believe, based on what I know about God and His character and the nature of the New Earth (the forever Heaven which will come after our resurrection), that if both you and your mom were Jesus followers here, your focus will not be on whatever happened between you but will be on the One who died to have an uninterrupted relationship with you.

You have two choices: you can trust His written Word that promises He will never leave you (and is, therefore, right where He always is…next to you, listening and loving). Or you can choose to turn your back on those promises and lean on your feelings instead.

We can’t know what responses people will give to our offer of God’s abundant life, though we can (and it sounds like you do) spend time praying for the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts and to give us the right words and opportunities.

You’ve been through a lot of stuff, and searching for relief from the pain is totally understandable. The difficulty comes when you search in the wrong places. There isn’t a human on this planet who can remove your pain—not even you, because if you think about it, trading this life for a life in Hell means your pain is multiplied throughout eternity.

Our ministry isn’t equipped to provide counseling in the traditional sense; however, I can say that God seems to be fond of adoption. Read Romans 8 and Ephesians 1. We are all “adopted” into God’s family when we surrender to Him as our Father.

How much “time” elapses or how the dead experience any delays while waiting in the current, temporary Heaven is anybody’s guess. Scripture tells us everything we need to know for now and God will reveal as much more as He cares to when the right time comes.

If your mom loved Jesus, she is with Him right now and if you love Jesus, the two (three counting your Father) will be together again when all His followers are united once and for all on the New Earth. Be patient; spend time thanking God for the years you had with your mom, and for the opportunities to serve Him by serving her. 

Our culture tells us that we have to constantly be doing, and the more people see us doing, the better. If we haven’t checked off dozens of to-do boxes each day, we’re not worthwhile. God doesn’t see things that way.

The Bible must be read as it was intended. There are so many different types of writing—historical narratives, apocalyptic (revelatory), wisdom literature, etc. Its cohesiveness is supernatural…no other book even comes close. From beginning to end it’s the story of God’s unending effort to bring humans back into relationship with Him.