The Gift of Reunion

In the last several months, many people around me have passed away. Some I knew. Some I never knew. Through the church, work, or family, I had a connection to each of them though.

One death was that of a young man in his early twenties. Many thought, as we all would, that he had many years ahead of him. Unfortunately, this was not the case. His life, as we know life, ended far too soon.

Another young man, a father to two small children and husband to a wife, died unexpectedly. Now, this wife and two children have only memories in the place of their loved one.

Two deaths were from cancer. Both persons had struggled for some time. Both fought valiantly. Both died sooner than we would have preferred. It will be nice when we have answers and closure to cancer being such a nasty enemy of ours. God bless the men and women who research continuously for a cure.

An older gentleman died as a result of a fall, but also dealt with dementia towards the end of his life.

Last week, a dear cousin of mine died. She was a wonderful soul. Ever since my twenties, I’ve told folks that my cousin could cut my hair better than anyone else. Having lived in other towns throughout the state, I always used my cousin as the standard by which others cut my hair.

As expected, they never did as good of a job as she always did. I never knew her to speed through a haircut. She meticulously washed and cut my hair. It was her talent and she was very good at it. However, she had another talent—putting God first in her life.

I remember as a child her helping with Vacation Bible School and Sunday school. I remember going to her home for picnics that she would have for the children in her classes. She made herself available and God used her. Whenever I saw her, she was always smiling and glad to see me. I wish we had more like her in the world.

As I reflect over death and dying because of the many instances of it lately, I was drawn to my high school graduating class. As I started thinking about the number of classmates who have lost one or more of their parents, it made me feel older. It made me realize that many of them, like me, have one less parent to turn to in our daily lives. One day, we will have both parents no longer with us, unless we go before them.

Whether we call it dying, passing, or as my aunt says, “going bye-bye,” in life we go through a time of separation from those we love. This is a tough thing for many to do— to go on without a loved one nearby. I know. I miss my dad all the time. The good news is that this is not permanent.

Thanks to the work of our Lord, through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, this time of separation is only temporary.

Without accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you will never get the opportunity to see a loved one again for eternity.

While my desire is to be with loved ones in the future, my first goal is to love the Lord, my God, with all my heart, soul, strength and mind. If I take care of this goal, I will also be securing the opportunity to spend eternity with those in my family who have chosen the Lord as a vital part of their lives as well.

Thank God for this beautiful gift of reunion.