Funeral

I attended a memorial service yesterday for my cousin Kent Smith. He was diagnosed with Lou Gerig's disease in 2010 and after a valiant battle for two years, the Lord called him home.   We were only a few years apart in age, Kent being the eldest, and as children we spent a great deal of time together as his best friend lived just a few doors down from me. But as we grew older our paths hardly crossed, and we saw each other only for family reunions. I looked around at the folks who filled the pews of Christ Cathedral, these were people whose life he had touched on one path  or another.Relationships had been established and memories made, life had been shared and now here we all were paying respect and celebrating a life that had touched our own.  Some of us were touched deeply, some casually, some coincidentally, but all the paths were paths that God had designed for his purposes and his glory.  

Funerals have a way of slowing us down and helping us to reflect not only on the life that was lived and no longer assessable to us on this earth, but also to evaluate relationships.  It is a reminder of our own mortality, and God's infinite power of authority and timing. Kent made life count especially for his wife and his son, age 14. He was a gentle spirit, a slow type mover and made time to establish relationships along the way with many friends and family.  He worked with his dad, and was close to his brother, and helped to look out for his mom, as long as he was able.  He was a baseball fanatic and he lured his son into his passion for the game, through his little league coaching and his trips to see his favored teams play ball.  As I sat there, I wondered, about God and heaven and all the players who have made their way to their final home.  His sister would be there, and my mom and dad, and I know he would be greeted with great love and celebration. And when they sang the closing song, "When the Saints Coming Marching In", I thought,I too will be blessed to one day be on that march. For it is written that God calls all those who believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ to live with him eternally,  and I do.   

But what struck me the most during this service were some of the thoughts of the priest about love. He said love seems like an intangible commodity, but in effect it is not.  For God places within us his love and it is through that love that we are able to love others.  Tangible love is seen in our kindness, our graciousness, our efforts to put others before ourselves.  And when that love is displayed, it lingers, it is not forgotten.  And when one our "loved" ones is called home, the love remains in the spirit that they have left behind. Death is not something that happens to the unfortunate, it is a natural sequence of life that will eventually happen to all of us.

We grieve greatly when someone who we have loved is called to their heavenly home, because they are a very part of us on this earth.  They are a voice, a partner, a soul mate who we have leaned on and loved and comforted and been comforted by, and someone we have enjoyed and celebrated with and cried with, and shared life with, moment by very moment.  They are someone who knows our weaknesses and encourages our strengths, and hangs with us in trials and has the courage to tell us the truth when the truth is not so glorious.  But all of that is living love, a love that does not perish.  It is lasting.  Just as God's love for us is lasting, and never failing.  We cannot see God, just as we no longer can see those who have gone before us to heavenly places, but the love that was shared is never lost.  It is ours to keep, until we meet again. 

We all have an allotted time to be on this earth.  We know not when we will be called, or how death will seize us, but what we do know in confidence is that God will never leave us or abandon his love for us.  We will go from an earthly home to a heavenly home and it is our choice, this day, to make the most out of our time here and establish relationships of value or wander about aimlessly satisfying our own needs and goals without leaving behind the remnants of love for others to behold.  God has placed within us a deepened love to share with others through our kindness, our encouragement, our help, our prayers, our hugs, etc.  And the love that we show will not be in wasted effort, for it will linger forever on the hearts that we touch.  God has filled us with his mercy, touches us with his grace so that while we are here on this earth, we will pass along His greatest value of all, and that is love. My cousin Kent did that, and it will linger in the hearts of those he loved and cared for forever.

Lamentations 3:22
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

Dear Lord, Death is a heart grabber for those of us who have been left to toil through life on this earth. And thought it is a lonely feeling when you have called one of our loved ones home, we know that your spirit is abounding, your power great and you will give us the tools we need to gradually accept and overshadow the void that has been left behind.  Help us to be reminded of their love that is forever implanted in our hearts,  and go forth in strength and courage and pass it on to those who stand beside us, and before us. Amen                 

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!