“Ellen,” the voice was soft, as a whisper, and oh so gentle.
“Yes, my Lord, I am here.” ("In the Garden")
“When you’re ‘in the garden’ with Jan’s mother and God, their conversations could easily be your own. Pour a cup of coffee, sit on the front porch, and get ready to be inspired by Jan’s mother, a remarkable follower of Jesus.” (Clare De Graf, about "In the Garden")
Sitting with my mother as she died ("Ready for Heaven," Oceana Echo, July 25, 2025) inspired me to write her story. Her death wasn’t the end of a life; it was a joyous, victorious transition to the next one. I didn’t want her story to be forgotten.
I soon realized that the key to her death was to be found in the way she lived, so I began “digging” through the soil of her life. I talked with my siblings, seeking to get as much information as I could. I tried to “walk in her footsteps,” to experience, vicariously, her hurts, her joys, her sorrows, her faith and her relationship with her Lord.
I was married and had children. I tried to imagine what it was like to feed, clothe and nourish seven children on an income subject to unpredictable weather; to lose a beloved daughter; become estranged from a son bruised by war; to lose a husband of 60 years; and, finally, to lose one’s health and become homebound and confined. My heart broke for her.
The finished manuscript recounted her life story; it was interesting, but it lacked something. The narrative seemed empty, hollow, somehow.
It was then I was inspired to write the conversations I imagined my mother had with her Lord “in the gardens” of her life and sprinkle them throughout the book.
Their conversations brought her story to life and gave it a soul; they tied the book together with the theme that, in the end, prayer is the only thing humans can do to effect change. “If prayer is a force at all, it cannot be possible to pray without something happening.” (Fox)
This is the power of prayer: we do not always receive what we ask for, but it is in the waiting for God to act, that faith is born and nurtured.
After all, if we received everything we asked for immediately, why would we need faith? My mother’s life is a testament to the change that prayer brings about in a follower of God. It’s in the waiting for our prayers to be answered – in the thundering silence from above – that we become the people God wants us to be. He is delighted when we put our faith and trust in Him, though we may not understand.
My mother did a lot of waiting – waiting for her daughter to heal; waiting for her son to come home; waiting for the rain to come; waiting, waiting, waiting, and through the waiting, she learned that prayer is not about getting God to do what we ask of Him; rather, it is about aligning ourselves with His will and fostering a deep, close relationship with our Heavenly Father.
“There is a communion with God that asks for nothing, yet asks for everything…{She} who seeks the Father more than anything He can give, is likely to have what {she} asks. {She} is not likely to ask amiss.” (George MacDonald)
Turns out, the soil my parents worked on the farm (present-day Country Dairy) was spiritual soil; God dwelt there, and as they toiled, they became intensely aware of His presence.
As I imagined my mother’s conversations with her Lord, I was struck by the reciprocal nature of their friendship. We often concentrate on our need for God; but my mother taught me that prayer is a two-way encounter. God also longs for connection with His children and delights in their trust and affection for Him.
My mother’s friendship with her Lord was a beautiful thing. It was what made her death so peaceful, so natural. Her last breath on earth was merely a pause in their conversation, to be continued when she arrived “home,” to be with her Lord face-to-face at last.
Note: Stay tuned for a closer look at Ellen’s conversations with her Lord.
For information about In the Garden, contact the author at janethasselbring23@gmail.com
