Saturday, May 4, 2013

My Friend Died

A friend of mine died tonight.  Just about an hour ago.  I hadn’t seen him much as he lived in Arizona.  But he was a friend none the less.  In fact, he came to our wedding.  Even at that time he was suffering from a terminal brain disease.

We went to seminary together and stayed at the same house for the overnight times.  He was the youth pastor at the church my wife attended.  And that is kind of how we met.  If I hadn’t asked him to bring his group to be counselors for our church’s children’s camp, well. . .
Now I know death happens.   I have experienced it painful finality several times in my life, a wife, a dad, a mom, a member of our youth group, but still the news always hits you hard.  Not as hard at his immediate family, though.  I cannot begin to understand the sorrow that they are experiencing, a mere sixty minutes later.

He certainly wasn’t old; in fact he was the same age as me.  At a time when he should be still serving in a church, going on dates with his wife, spending time with his kids and grandkids, his life was slowing dripping from him like a paper cup with a hole in the bottom.  Seems so sad, so senseless.  Too soon.

Unless you knew him.  And unless you knew his God.  My friend loves Jesus.  Yes, loves.  In the present tense.  Just because he has “left” this earth, doesn’t mean he’s gone.  He is just continuing on with his relationship with the God of the Universe.  Just, as his son wrote, at a new address.  However, we look at it, he finished the race.  He did what he was called by God to do.  Be a witness for Him.
Though we will never, on this side of heaven, understand the Lord’s perfect will and timing, we rest, we trust in the fact that it is so.  God has the things of our temporal and natural world, in His complete and capable hands.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?
 I believe.  My friend believes.

So, my friend, welcome home. 

No comments:

Post a Comment