46. At the edge of the new

New Year celebrations are very important for people who grew up in a communist system. Our church community, consisting mainly of people from the former Yugoslavia, would organize grand New Year’s programmes. It was always a good opportunity to thank God for His blessings in the past year, and commit our individual lives and of the community to God’s guidance in the new period of life marked with a new calendar.

This was an excellent occasion to reflect back on the events organized in the church and by the church. Shared memories bound us closer, and it is good to revive them and reflect on them. A suitable entertainment programme, with games for all age groups and humorous skits, was enjoyed by everyone. The ladies made their contribution by preparing the tastiest food and cakes you can just imagine; this made the occasion even more memorable. Our whole family enjoyed themselves. It was nice to see how mum tried to take part in the programme as much as she could. Her happy and positive spirit helped her to enjoy herself in spite of bleak prospects of the future.

Mum found her hope and courage in God, to whom we matter so much that He cares about everything in our life. Her favourite verses in this respect were taken from Matthew chapter 6:25-34, where Jesus’ words were recorded:

“35 …do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

36 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?

27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin,

29 let I tell you that not even Solomon in all His splendor was dressed like one of those.

30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith.

31 So do not worry saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink? Or ‘What shall we wear?’

32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them.

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (NIV)

47. Return home

With Croatian passports mum and dad could stay with us in Germany for three months. February came very quickly and mum was feeling weaker and weaker. With all natural remedies available to us we couldn’t help her. We had to make a decision for them to return home. Mum needed medical care fast.

Mum could see how concerned Miriam and Natasha were about her. Natasha especially couldn’t hide her emotions. Mum gathered them for a grandmother-to-granddaughters talk. “You know how much I love you. It will be hard for me to leave you. Now that we share the same faith and hope I want to remind you of something. Those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Saviour will never die; they only go for a deserved rest until He comes again. At the resurrection day He will wake me up and for sure I’ll look for you.” The girls had to agree with granny. Mum’s words put the things into the right perspective for me too. Was my faith strong enough to look beyond the grave or at the grave simply as a resting place?

The day for traveling came. Mum assured us that she was fit enough to travel by bus. When we arrived to the bus station we found out that the timetable for the buses had changed. We missed the bus traveling directly to our hometown by half an hour. There was a bus traveling to Zagreb, to all my annoyance; we had to go for this option. Mum assured me since we entrusted their travel home to God that He saw it as a better option. Mum was right.

We contacted Joseph and arranged with him to meet the parents in Zagreb. I warned him that mum wasn’t in the best possible condition and that she would need to be seen by her doctor as soon as possible. He met them at Zagreb station and drove them straight to her doctor in Slavonski Brod. She was immediately admitted to the hospital there.

Sometimes we have our own plans and they might seem very good to us. However, God might have a different plan that is always better than ours because He sees what we can’t see, He knows what we don’t know. When we trust Him, He goes before us and prepares things for us. This was the case with mum and dad’s travel. Joseph was able to help them and he acted immediately to her need to be taken to the hospital. What was annoying miscommunication with the travel agency turned out to be God’s plan. That reminded me of a text in Psalm 34:7-8.

“7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (NIV)