Just another Sunday morning. My brother and I slurped up our weekly treat of cold cereal. Dad's eggs sizzled in the pan. Mom chatted on the phone with my brother who was on a trip. Sleepily I went through the motions not bothering to be in the least bit cheery to my family. Just another day. While we were enjoying the pleasure of a normal routine, others were watching as a young man slipped from this earth into the arms of Jesus. Mom talked on the phone with her son as another mother said her last earthly words to the son of her womb. Begrudgingly I served up some eggs to my big brother as another sibling mourned the loss of his big brother. Life so blissfully normal for us, life so painfully turned upside down for our distant cousins.
Today the privilege was ours of attending a remembrance of life. Ironic it seemed to me, my niece celebrated her birthday today. Two celebrations today, one so painful and wrong, the other full of happiness and joy.
I stood so very close to my brother not wanting to think about him being gone as well. My mother couldn't shake the thought either of the shared age of the mourned one and my brother. Every time I saw his figure breathed in his scent. I wanted to say how much I loved him and to wonder why was that this young man was gone and not my brother. I cling to my family tonight lacking the words to them of my deep love and gratefulness. The Father knows.
To my mind it seems so very wrong. How could one so young just die? Someone so bright with future and hope. Humanly we ask God these questions. Answers are in long while coming.
One thing is understood. This young man has only died in body and now lives for ever in heaven. As the pastor said "only passing through the shadow of death not dying for eternity".
God knows the pain of the parents. Was it not Him who gave His own son up for death? Our Father gave His son to die so we might live. Today we mourned the loss of a dear brother in Christ. Tears flowed freely however as we sang praise--so equally due to who's Hand reigns over all.
Moments after losing their son the parents sent out an e-mail notifying of the death. Included simply was the phrase "Death is Swallowed up in victory".
1 comment:
Thank you for the reminder that life is short but for those of us who know Christ, our life is eternal. I am so thankful that Christians can say "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting?"
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