Saturday, January 26, 2008
Written by
Dr. Keith Gomez
@
4:00PM
These are the hands that God has used, humanly speaking, to
build the great work here at Northwest
Bible Baptist
Church. This is the hand
that stroked my face three days ago and said, “I love you with all my heart.”
This is the hand that cooked thousands of meals for me and my children. This is
the hand that held my children as she carried them and fed them. This is the
hand that changed their diapers. This is the hand that tended to their fevered
brow. This is the hand that shook the church visitors' hands. This is the hand
that sewed on the buttons. This is the hand that I will never hold again on
this earth. The hand that I kissed as coldness set in just before they took my
precious wife off to the funeral home this morning, Saturday, January 26.
The above picture was taken ten hours before her passing. We
began to hear the death rattle on Friday, the 25th at 4PM. As my
children sat by her side for the next 12 hours and awaited her home-going, she
was fighting for her life and every breath. Her eyes opened wide as she looked
to the left and to the right. She saw each one of us there around her and then
she gasped her last breath at 4:12 AM, on Saturday, January 26, 2008. She was my life, my love, my everything on this earth and
outside of the Lord Jesus she was my world. Thank God for Heaven. This is what
we preach and this is what we must live.
As I was just putting a few notes together for the update, my
son, Josh, came to me with a piece of paper. He did not know about my update,
but when he gave me the paper, I was astonished that he had written something
about the hands. I watched him yesterday as he rubbed his mother’s hands and
cried as he spoke to her about all that those hands had done for him. As you
remember, Mrs. Gomez sat by his side in ICU and in Acute Care in UC Davis
California Hospital for 40 days. This is what Josh penned:
Hands
What wiped the tears from our eyes;
What tended our fevered brow;
The preparer of our food;
The security of just a small touch.
How beautiful are the hands of our mother.
How beautiful is the touch of our mother.
How everlasting is her example to all
Who give their life for others.
The children are very strong and God has been good to all of
us through this deep and sorrowful time. It is wonderful to know that Mrs.
Gomez has received perfect healing. There is no more pain; there is no more
cancer; there are no more tears; there is no more hurt. “O death, Where is thy sting? O grave, where
is thy victory?”
We love each and every one of you that have taken the time
to express your feelings to us at this difficult time in our lives, and yet, one
of the most victorious times for Mrs. Gomez.
We have been receiving phone calls from people across the
country about a memorial fund. We have set up a fund called the “Carla Gomez
Memorial Scholarship Fund for Married Students.” Because she was a great example to married
students at Providence
Baptist College
and to married couples around the world, and because of her great love for
them, this fund has been set up in her honor. This scholarship(s) will be given
away every year at Providence Baptist College Graduation. Checks may be written
to Northwest Bible Baptist
Church with a notation
“Carla Gomez Memorial Fund.”
Thank you for all your support. Your comments have been a
great source of strength for all who have read them. We love you very much.
Dr. Keith Gomez