I bought three sympathy cards this past weekend. I don't know why, but it seems like more deaths occur during the holiday season. Maybe, we just realize that this time of the years makes it harder....I don't know. As I was checking out with the cards, I thought how sad this holiday season is going to be for these three families. How there will be an empty chair where this person once sat. I lost my mom six days before Christmas and I can remember that first Christmas without her. You try to keep things as normal as you can for the kids sake, but it just wasn't the same. Moms are the ones that plan Christmas and pull it off. They are the "glue" that holds the family together. I still remember that feeling I felt that Christmas Eve and I would be lying if I didn't say her presence wasn't still missed every Christmas.
One of the families was a mother of a friend at church. She had lived a full life and was diagnosed with cancer a few months back. She knew she didn't have long and while that sounds terrible, God really blessed her by giving her a deathbed. She had time to think about her eternity. Knowing you are going to die will make you more readily accepting of the gospel. This lady accepted Jesus as her Savior two weeks before she died. So while my friend will grieve her mother, she can have assurance of seeing her again.
The second card was for the parents of a 25 year old girl in our community. She too was diagnosed with cancer back in the summer. She just graduated from Auburn with a degree in Pharmacy. She was the top student in her graduating class. She married a dentist and life should have been good. I can't even imagine what her parents are feeling. How they are coping. Her poor husband! They had not even celebrated their first year anniversary. The best part of this story is that she was a Christian and they can take comfort in that....but I know there will be some dark days ahead for this family.
The third card was for a step father of a friend of Jamie's from high school. He took his own life. I didn't really know him that well, but his family says he was a Christian and was reading his Bible shortly before he died. While I don't understand depression, I do sympathize with people that deal with it. My heart breaks for this family as they try to deal with not only the loss of their loved one, but the emotions that are sure to be there because of his decision.
Losing a loved one is never easy, but all three of these familes can take comfort in knowing their loved one is in heaven. It is a reminder to us all that we need to make sure we are praying for our lost family members, because nobody is promised tomorrow.
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of comfort.
II Corintians 1:3
Thanks for the reminder, mom! Sometimes its easy to get complacent in our prayers because we assume our lost loved ones have plenty of time. We all need to be reminded that our time on this earth is limited, and we need to get busy with God's business.
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