THE FINAL CALL — How Joel Osteen’s Last Words to His Mother Became a Lesson for Us All
It began on an ordinary Tuesday evening. Joel Osteen had just returned from a trip when his sister Lisa called. “Joel, Mom’s not feeling well,” she told him. Only six days earlier, they had all shared dinner together, laughing and talking as they always did. Dodie Osteen, known to the world as “Mama Dodie,” had lived ninety-one vibrant years and was still as active as ever.
That night at 8:00, Joel called. “Mom, what’s going on?”
Her voice was steady. “I’m fighting a little nausea,” she said.
Joel wasn’t overly concerned. He had watched his mother battle and overcome cancer three times, endure surgeries, and press on with the quiet courage of someone who refused to quit. This felt like just another fight — something she would shake off in a day or two. But a few hours later, in the stillness of her own home, Mama Dodie breathed her last and went to be with the Lord.
What Joel didn’t know in that moment was that their exchange —
“Good night, Mama. I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night, Joel. I love you, too.”
— would be the final words they would ever speak to each other.
Two days later, thousands filled Lakewood Church in Houston for a homegoing celebration that felt more like a festival of gratitude than a funeral. For those who could not be there, the service streamed worldwide, uniting people across continents who had been touched by her life.
Joel, rarely one to show deep emotion in public, stood before the congregation and spoke not just as a pastor, but as a son. He described a woman whose strength came from prayer, whose love for people was her true ministry, and whose faith never wavered. Clips from 2012 and her 90th birthday reminded everyone of her words: “The main thing I’ve learned is to love people. People are hurting, and you never know what someone is going through. If you love them, give them a smile, a hug — that’s about all you can do. And it works.”
Victoria Osteen spoke next, remembering not just a mother-in-law, but a second mother. She talked about Dodie’s faithfulness and her unique ministry of prayer cloths — small pieces of fabric prayed over, carried in pockets, tucked into Bibles, kept close in times of need. These cloths were not about the fabric, she explained, but about the faith that came with them.
The most intimate moment came from Dodie’s grandchildren. For over fifty years, she had read a list of healing scriptures every night before bed — her “medicine.” They recited them at the service:
“I shall live and not die and declare the works of the Lord” (Psalm 118).
“By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53).
These were not just words on a page — they were the foundation of her daily life. In her final months, those same scriptures became a song written by her grandchildren, now sung in her honor.
The service closed not with tears alone, but with a challenge. Joel urged everyone to make the most of the time they have with loved ones. “Losing someone you love is never easy,” he said, “but it’s a lot less difficult when you have no regrets. Let them know you love them — now.”
Mama Dodie’s life was proof that influence isn’t measured by titles or platforms, but by how deeply you love. And in those final words between mother and son, she left one last sermon: love fiercely, live faithfully, and leave no words of kindness unspoken.