Friday, March 9, 2018

A WONDERFUL FUNERAL

I haven't written in a blog in a very long time for various reasons, but today, I felt a need to share what is in my heart.

I went to a funeral today, and though there were tears, there was also much laughter. The man who officiated was my favorite pastor as well as a dear friend.

The funeral was for the pastor's wife, and my friend. This was the funeral for her father.

I have been to tragic funerals. I attended the funeral for a friend of my son - a talented, healthy young man, who died a sad and devastating death. I went to my young ex-brother in law's funeral - also a tragic event.

There is nothing worse than the funeral for a child or a baby and I have been to both. One was for a dear little boy, who had been ill since birth. There were many tears, and a family devastated.

I went to my 6 almost 7 year old daughter's funeral after an automobile accident. A healthy child, full of life, and so many possibilities, was suddenly gone. When the Bible said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son..." He was saying, nothing is more painful for a parent to lose than their own child, but He loved all of more even than His son.

The service that I went to today was much, much different. An 86 year old man passed away after being ill for a very long time. He was surrounded by a huge family with children, grand-children, great grand-children, friends, co-workers, and it was evident that this man was well loved.

This was not a tragedy, but rather the celebration of a life well lived. The man who officiated talked about fishing, and how the man celebrated today always caught the biggest fish. He spoke of the joy and love that this man had taken in his wife, his children, and his grands and great-grands. He recounted the joy this man had felt in his work life. The pastor who officiated spoke of growing up in a group home setting, and how over the years, his father in law has taught him the concept and meaning of having a "home" and family.

We think of music at funerals as being sad, somber and spiritual. The first song came over the speaker - "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.", was accompanied by laughter in the sanctuary. The joke being, his name was Leroy Brown. Even though he was a gentle mountain of a man, friends had dubbed this his theme song, and he loved it.

I have left funerals so heart sick, but I left today with an incredible feeling of joy, and anticipation. I was reminded of one of my favorite scriptures from the Book of Job.

Job 42 12-17

"12 Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.
16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17 So Job died, old and full of days."
Well done, Mr. Brown!