For Mrs. Hiemstra Message on Psalm 46 by Pastor Joe Ellis — July 9, 2024

On July 9 2024, the Memorial Service for Riemke Hiemstra was held in Telkwa Community Church . Here is the link for the Zoom recording.

Mrs. Hiemstra was always a generous host whenever I would come for a pastoral visit. There would always be tea, juice or coffee as well as some sort of almond based treats as we sat in her sofa chairs and talked. Visiting Mrs. Hiemstra was always a gift. We would talk about many things, her cruise to Alaska; her joy at having her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren over for visits; how she met her husband; how scary it was to be briefly separated from him when she first arrived in North America. Mrs. Hiemstra shared with me all sorts stories from the past and stories of the present, but there was one story that she would always tell every visit.

Without fail, your mom would recount the night her beloved husband, John, passed away. Every time she shared the story, it felt as though it had just happened for her. He had written her a note right before he had passed away.  The note said, “Enjoy your children, Riemke.” As she recalled the note, her voice would falter and she would go on to lament, “He knew he was dying, he knew he was dying, but he didn’t say anything.” So much feeling behind that cry from her heart. Perhaps, what was so hard about her husband knowing he was about to pass but not saying anything was that your mom didn’t get to say goodbye the way she wished. Of course, your dad saw love in your mom’s eyes every day, but perhaps she grieved not being able to put her look into words that one last time. Your mom loved your dad with her whole heart, and it was truly beautiful to see the depth of her love for this man with whom she had been married to for so many decades. And I wonder, I suspect, that her beloved husband passing away, was not unlike this moment described at the beginning of Psalm 46: 

The earth gives way 

and the mountains fall into 

the heart of the sea, 

its waters roar and foam 

and the mountains quake with 

their surging.

The writer of the Psalm is describing a moment where the ground has dropped out beneath his feet. He is describing a moment of being unmoored and adrift — perhaps not unlike your mom felt when she had to say goodbye to her husband whom she loved so deeply.. 

Now I invite you to notice, the opening lines of the Psalm 

God is our refuge and strength,

An ever-present help in trouble. 

Therefore we will not fear…

In those moments when the ground falls out beneath our feet, when we feel awash and adrift, the writer of the Psalm calls us to our refuge, to God. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.” In those times of anguish, when the ground drops out from beneath us, God will support us through it all. Throughout the Psalm, again and again, we are reminded that “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” When we are overwhelmed with it all, our heavenly Father invites into His presence, saying, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Throughout the Psalm, there is the steadfast, constant reassurance that God will be with His children, He will be steadfast help, comfort and reassurance when the ground falls out beneath our feet.

So, how does this happen? When the ground falls out from underneath us, especially when we are grieving the passing of someone so dear, how do we find in God our refuge and strength?  Certainly through prayer, through meditating on the promises of Scripture, through worship, through the sacraments, through simply being still and knowing that He is God. Yet, did you notice that in the world of Psalm 46, you cannot do any of those practices truly by yourself? Did you notice that you cannot pray Psalm 46 alone, even if you try? The writer of this Psalm keeps reminding us that when the ground drops out beneath us, we are not to brave those times alone. So the Psalm writer reminds us not only into an awareness of who God is — the writer of that Psalm reminds us of our role together in fostering that awareness.  The Psalm tells us: “God is our refuge” and “Therefore we will not fear,” and that “The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress.”  We are not made to endure alone those times when the ground falls beneath us. So the Psalm writer keeps drawing us back into community, into the company of those we love and those who love us. In this light, her husband’s note of farewell to his beloved wife takes on its deeper significance. Remember John’s words, “Enjoy your children Riemke.” As the writer of Psalm 46 continually calls us back to God’s family for support, your dad’s note of farewell called your mom to draw close to those who love her most dearly. “Enjoy your children, Riemke.” This is the way of God in the world. “Enjoy your children, Riemke.” — in other words,  you cannot go this alone. You have eight beautiful daughters who love you dearly, eight wonderful sons-in-law, more grand-children and great grandchildren than you can count. “Enjoy your children, Riemke,” through them you will experience the love and care of Jesus. And she did. Although I sense that your mom never got over dearly missing her beloved husband, God was a refuge to her these last 12 years — no less through each of you. Each of you, in your own unique way, with your own unique capacities — you were there with her. You were Christ’s hands, feet and heart for her, caring for her dearly.  You loved her so well, right to the end, and God shone through your love. God shines through our love for one another.

The Psalmist says: 

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, 

the holy place where the Most High dwells. 

 God is within her, she will not fall;  

The city of God, the community of the faithful. We find comfort and support, refuge and strength from God no less through the fellowship of His faithful children.

Psalm 46 then points towards the day when there will no longer be any potential of the ground dropping away beneath our feet. 

Come, behold the works of the Lord; 

see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; 

he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; 

he burns the shields with fire. 

“Be still, and know that I am God! 

I am exalted among the nations, 

I am exalted in the earth.” 

The Lord of hosts is with us; 

the God of Jacob is our refuge.

In this last stanza, we are invited to look toward that day when God Almighty brings a final end to death through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. On that day we shall enjoy with him everlasting friendship. We find the reality Psalm 46 hints at spelled out in full in Revelation 21, where the Apostle John saw and heard:

…a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

Jesus shed His blood for our sins, Jesus died in our place and He rose from the grave so that we might rise to newness of life with Him. What is true of Jesus is true for those who love Him. Jesus’ sacrifice prepared our way into God’s dwelling place which is in and among His people. Jesus died so that we might live together with God. We can’t live together with God, alone. Our salvation is together. Jesus’ death and resurrection is the assurance that one day, the ground shall never again drop out from beneath our feet. Jesus died and rose from the grave, so that God might wipe away every tear and that “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  Jesus died and rose so that we might have perfect unending fellowship with our heavenly Father, and with one another. Your mom has begun to taste that reality.

I find it so beautiful that Annette had a dream shortly before her mom passed away. In the dream, Jesus had sent John, her beloved husband, to come take Riemke to her heavenly home. Jesus sent John to reassure Riemke that she will again find solid ground — solid ground in the presence of Jesus, in the company of her husband, and in the fellowship of all the saints who have gone before. God is our refuge and strength — we find our strength through Him and with one another. That is the way He always meant it to be — our future is together, worshipping Him in unending praise.