…the house of mourning…

It was clear, something was wrong when one of our pastor’s began to speak with me yesterday morning.

He was relating the events of the past few days and, to my great surprise, that his mother was put on hospice.

Two weeks ago his parents had visited our fellowship.

At one point, his eyes brimming with emotion, he said, “Mom has her ticket punched, she knows where she’s going.”

I promised to pray for their family.

After service, I went over to speak with our dear elderly gentleman friends.

I greeted Mr. Perry, his first words were, “Did your husband tell you my wife is dieing?”

He withdrew a small picture frame from his Bible.

It held a black and white photo of a bride and groom cutting their wedding cake.

He smiled broadly.

“You know my wife is like you, very charismatic.”

I was touched by his complement and he continued.

“It’s really okay, because she knows where she’s going. I had her for 68 years.”

I just couldn’t find words to express my heart to him, but promised to pray.

Later, the Lord brought a verse to mind.

Ecclesiastes 7:2 NKJV — Better to go to the house of mourning Than to go to the house of feasting, For that is the end of all men; And the living will take it to heart.

Loss, sorrow, and grief are not easy things to walk through, but we should not ignore them.

Instead, we should take it to heart.

Apply the truth of death to our own lives.

Do I know where I’m going?

What needs to be done to bring assurance like these two ladies?

If there’s assurance within, then am I looking to others?

Have I spoken with my loved ones about death which leads to eternal separation from God and the truth of Jesus’s salvation?

Have I shared the assurance Christ’s salvation brings?

Do I live in such a way as to proclaim the gospel daily?

These questions are only the tiptop of this iceberg.

We can learn from God’s Word about taking to heart the end of this life and the salvation through Christ.

There’s no other story of a man dieing which has brought such life.

Jesus Christ, Himself died, but His death is the only one that brought salvation, that bridged the gap between sinners (us) and God’s desire to be with us.

Jesus’s disciples took both His life and death to heart.

Through humility, the wonderful truth of Jesus’s resurrection changed not only their hearts and lives, but many many others through their testimony.

I’m one of those and so are these dear ladies who are passing from this life into eternity.

What a beautiful gift salvation and the assurance of Heaven is.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for dieing for me. Thank You for giving us Your Word that we might find assurance through Your sacrifice. Lord, please help those who are unsure of their future to find peace in Your salvation. Lord, break through the lies which hinder belief and choke faith. Lord, please shine through the darkness into the hearts of those who are empty, lost, and searching for You. Lord, let salvation bring complete healing, for only in Heaven will we experience life without the rot and ruin of sin. Lord, thank You for these dear ladies who are on their way to You. Thank You for Your people whom I don’t know, but are so close to their journey’s end as well. Lord, please comfort their families. Please encourage those who mourn. Please remind all of us to lean upon You and not ourselves. Lord, thank You. You give us hope that for those who believe on Your name and trust in You shall have everlasting life. Thank You! Amen.

Psalm 116:15 KJV — Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Memories

This is a very precious photograph.

It was taken by my Mom-in-law.

It was during a BBQ at our house.

I have always loved it.

As time has gone on,
it has grown more dear to my heart.

Yes,
partly because our first born is way past the baby stage.

Mostly,
because two of the people in the picture are gone,
no longer residents of earth.

My father was killed in an accident,
not long after the picture was taken.

The boy on Papa ‘ s knee,
our nephew,
was killed in an accident,
just a few years ago.

Although we will always miss them.
Although it can sometimes still hurt.

The picture sits in our living room, because of something bigger than either hurt or sorrow.

Love

We will always love them.
We will always remember them.
And no matter what,
it was better than not having them as part of our lives.

I was listening to our Bible teacher,
discussing the fact,
God is a god of order and not chaos.

He said,
” Look around,  what do you see in the world?  Death, hunger, and a mess, but God didn’t create it to be so. We have made it this way. ”

He went on to speak of personal responsibility and begin able to be mature enough to realize we each need to be looking to the Lord for what He would have us work on.

It struck me.

God didn’t create us to die.

We chose to do that ourselves.

How sad.

Yet there’s still hope.

Jesus gives us all another chance to defeat death when He died.

And He gives us the strength to endure the chaos.

Because life on earth is not the end.

Since I have hope of seeing our family again I can keep their picture in our living room.

Reminding me of the joy of knowing them.
Reminding me to live each day loving those in my life, because time is precious.
Reminding me of a future date with Jesus.

I know people will think I’m crazy but once in a while,
I glance at the photograph,
and whisper:
“Jesus, say ‘Hi’ to Dad for me.”

Because some day death will no longer be the end.