Weddings, funerals, and birthdays. With happy anticipation and delight we recently welcomed our youngest granddaughter into the world. A few weeks earlier, we celebrated the marriage of our oldest granddaughter. In between these two joyous family events, we attended the funeral of a dear friend. From our perspective, she left this world far too soon.
Life is a gift. It comes with happy times and sad times, and sometimes all at once. The news of my friend losing her battle with cancer brought sadness, juxtaposed with all the festivities. Yet death is as much a part of life as a wedding is, or the birth of a child.
We celebrate weddings and birthdays with joy. There may be tears, but they are happy tears. At births and weddings we look forward with anticipation to what is ahead.
At funerals, we tend to look at the past–what a person has done with their life, the memories we have.
We feel sorrow over the separation from people we love. No matter how much time we have with those we love, it is never enough–yet, the end of life on earth is not the end of life. Naturally we grieve, though not as those without hope. We have apprehension over the unknown. But God’s word promises a glorious eternal future to those who know and love Jesus.
Much of our worldly thinking is upside down to God’s view of things. I think that carries over into our view of death also. The things of earth are temporary. Even death. Maybe we should re-think how we view weddings, funerals. and birthdays.
What God says is always worth pondering. In Ecclesiastes 7:1-2 He says through Solomon, A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart (NIV). Solomon spoke out of the wisdom given him by God. Why would he say the day of death is better than the day of birth? Perhaps it has to do with the uncertainty of a life that is just beginning. It is untried. No one knows what that life will look like as it unfolds. How will he react to trials and hardship? How will she respond to blessings and abundance?
At the end of life such uncertainty is gone. A testimony remains concerning the kindness shown, the generosity displayed, the love given–or not. More importantly, with a believer’s last breath on earth, all the struggle and pain end. One steps into the tangible and visible presence of Jesus.
God tells us in Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants (NIV). The last two chapters of the Bible give us hints of our future–one where believers are surrounded by beauty and the things of sorrow are removed.
In 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT we learn No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. We can’t even imagine, in our wildest imaginations, what God has prepared.
My friend radiated the joy of Jesus from the moment I met her. Even as she knew death approached, she encouraged others. She knew she would enter God’s glorious presence and looked forward to it. Though sad to leave her family, she trusted in God’s sovereignty and knew He would do mighty things.
All of life is a gift. We rejoice over weddings and birthdays. But even at funerals, we can rejoice over a life well-lived. We can be thankful for the good times shared. And we can look forward to a wonderful reunion.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. Revelation 21:4 NLT
What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment below.
Blessings,
Phyllis
Image by InspiredImages from Pixabay
Copyright 2023 Phyllis L. Farringer
Very good
Thank you, George