My mother-in-law was Ella Jolliffe (nee Kinsman). Ella was from Nova Scotia and bravely volunteered to serve during the second world war. Ella was a young woman when she left the confines of her home in a small town on the east coast and got on a ocean liner - crossed the “pond” and served on an air force base in northern England - recording the missions of the planes that flew to Germany. It was there she met her husband - my father-in-law - Ray Jolliffe. They married after the war in 1946.

Fast forward almost 50 years to 1995. Ella had cancer and in February of that year - she passed away. Dad and Randy and Carol (Randy’s sister) and I were with her at the end - or rather - the beginning. Mom had been in a coma for the last three days of her life but in the seconds before she took her last breath, she opened her brilliant blue eyes - reached for the ceiling - and then, breathed her last. I remember looking up at the ceiling and wishing I could see what Mom J saw. Surely the heavens opened and the angels were welcoming her Home. She instantly began her new life in Heaven.

I love the writings of C.S. Lewis, particularly, The Chronicles of Narnia. I read the whole series again a couple of summers ago - one after the other. I couldn’t put them down. I understood them better - better than when I read them as a child or when I read them to my own children. The series consists of seven fantasy novels, centred around the magical world of Narnia, where children from our world travel to a magical world and play significant roles there. All seven stories (they are not long and you can read them in a few days) speak of the ongoing conflict between good and evil - pitting the lion Aslan and the white witch against each other. Lewis writes about courage, sacrifice, redemption and the triumph of good over evil. This summer would be a great time to run to your nearest bookstore and buy the series and read them to yourself and to your children and your grandchildren.

The Magician’s Nephew begins the story of how Narnia was created by Aslan.

In The Lion, the witch and the Wardrobe - you’ll read about the Pevensie siblings (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) and their adventures in Narnia, where they help overthrow the white witch and become the new rulers.

In Prince Caspian - the children return to Narnia to help the Prince reclaim his throne from his evil uncle, Miraz.

In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Edmund and Lucy, along with their cousin, Eustace, take a magical sea voyage to the edge of the world.

I loved The Horse and His Boy! In this book we meet a boy named Shasta and a talking horse who journey from Calormen to Narnia and discover their true identities.

The Silver Chair introduces us to Jill Pole, who along with Eustace, are given the task to find Prince Caspian’s missing son, Rilian.

In The Last Battle - the final book in the series, we read about the end of Narnia and its transition to a new, heavenly realm.

The Last Battle is exciting to me. My heart resonates with joy as I read about the New Narnia. I've spent countless hours since Randy died reading and studying about Heaven. I read and reread Randy Alcorn’s book called - Heaven. Randy had read this book years before and it was like we were studying it together. He had underlined and highlighted so many sentences. In The Last Battle - Lewis gives us a glimpse of how he perceives Heaven (or the new Narnia to be).

“The difference between the old Narnia and the new Narnia is described this way! The new one was a deeper country; every rock and flower and blade of grass looked as if it meant more. I can’t describe it any better: when you get there you will know what this means!

It was the Unicorn who summed it up best - what everyone was feeling. He stamped his right fore-hoof on the ground and neighed…..and then he cried…….. I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here! This is my land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this. Bree-hee-hee! Come further up, come further in!

He shook his mane and sprang forward into a great gallop - a Unicorn’s gallop, which, in our world, would have carried him out of sight in a few minutes. But now a strange thing happened. Everyone else began to run; and they found to their astonishment, that they could keep up with him: not only the Dogs and the humans but even fat little Puzzle and short-legged Poggin the Dwarf. The air flew in their faces as if they were driving fast in a car without a windscreen. The country flew past as if they were seeing it from the windows of an express train. Faster and faster they raced, but no one got hot or tired or out of breath.”

I can only imagine!

Many of you know this part of my story but for those who don’t…….. In 1984 - while having my third son, the anesthesiologist placed the epidural in the wrong place on my spine. The freezing immediately went down but also went up - high - too high. I was instantly paralyzed from the neck down. I wasn’t breathing. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t call for help. The saddest part of this story is that the doctor and nurse had both left the room before the freezing took place and I was alone. No one was with me. No one knew I wasn’t breathing. No one knew I would die - as would my unborn baby - unless someone came to our rescue - quickly. In those moments before my own GP came into the OR - I had a few brief moments to reflect on my life. I rejoiced for the 26 years I had lived - for my husband and two small toddlers at home - for my parents and siblings - for friends and the life I was living. I thanked God for all these things. In those precious moments, I also prayed a desperate prayer - for two things - first - that God would send help immediately and second - if no help came - He would care for Randy and my two young sons at home. It was only after help arrived - after I had been put on a respirator - after my baby was born safely - after I was out of recovery - after recuperating - after being home with my three sons and husband for several months - that I finally gave thought to Heaven and had my doctor not shown up when he did - Pete and I both would have died.

“Teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Wisdom is gained by remembering that our lives are brief and our every breath is a gift from God. The One who has numbered with absolute precision the number of stars in the universe and knows each of them by name has also numbered my breaths and the days of my life. How precious is that truth.

Like my mother-in-law - someday when it is my turn - to venture from this old “Narnia” to the new “Narnia” - let me be reaching my hand skyward also. So many of my loved ones have gathered there already - awaiting the rest of us.

COME FURTHER UP! COME FURTHER IN!