A solid fact of life (unless Christ returns before) is that we will all die one day. Different cultures deal with death in different ways . . . We westerners mourn death and celebrate the life of the one who dies (in the best case scenario).
As a pastor, I deal with death almost on a weekly basis . . . In a church the size of Ebenezer, we have our share of funerals. AND, our church families experience death in their own families on a regular basis. Seldom does a week go by without a prayer request on our prayer list for one of our families touched by death.
Well, it looks like it is my family’s turn. My NINETY-SIX (yes, that is 96 to you and me) year old grandmother (technically she is ALMOST 96) is in St Francis Hospital in Greenville right now and will probably pass away in the next day or two. I went up to see her on Saturday and I know she is ready. She has outlived her husband, most of her friends and peers, and she is ready. And as someone who sees people in this place in their life I certainly understand and sympathize with her. And I know my mom and her four sisters and brother do, too.
But, they are still losing their mother. And THAT part of it hurts. Even though they KNOW she knows Christ, and they KNOW she will be in a better place, it still hurts. That is the price of love, and in my estimation, it is worth it.
I am okay, just concerned for my mom. And I haven’t decided yet if they should tell my grandpa that his break is over or should they just surprise him?? God has a sense of humor, so who knows what will happen!
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