Celebrating and sorrowing: goodbye to Diane

This weekend we'll celebrate the life of Diane, a dear friend as well as a respected colleague. She fell in a hiking accident last Saturday and walked through the eternal doorway into the presence of Jesus.

We've been sharing sorrow and sympathy, grief-stricken words exchanged among her friends. How she will be missed! We won't see her here again - but the hope of eternal life with our Lord comforts us. We'll meet in heaven when our own days are through.

The way we think about milestones like death reveals much about our life with Jesus. Here's what Diane taught me:

1. Christ is worthy of our adoration. Diane, four other women, and I had committed to a year-long journey of spiritual disciplines. Each week we'd read, think, and pray together to focus our attention on God's ways. Diane's responses demonstrated her life of worship and her longing to love God more.
2. Christ is worthy of our attention. Diane took time to write about her disciplines of faith. Some weeks I was convicted by the depth of her devotion; she understood that God demanded all of her attention and efforts.
3. We work while we can. Diane was a hard worker who was the liaison for people, relationships, and information. When her work was done - though she didn't know the end was near - God called her home.
4. Everything secret becomes known. One of Diane's friends had to go through her apartment. She found Diane's Bible open on her desk. What would someone find on mine? On yours?
5. Not one day can be shortened or added to what God gives us. Comments about Diane's death range from "tragic" to "cut short" to "awful." These describe only our side of the story. Diane lived her life to the full. She accomplished what she was born to do. She was a gift to us for a certain number of days. When those days had passed, she went Home to her reward.
6. Great joy awaits those who live for Jesus. Since attending my first memorial service, I've had the same initial response at hearing of the death of a Christian. Envy. A holy jealousy takes my breath away. To think that someone who has believed in Jesus now gets to be near Him! What joy. What bliss. What a future!
   
   I was probably five years old, at the first funeral I can remember. Grandma stood, heaving with great sobs beside me.
   
   "Why are you crying, Grandma?" I asked her, looking up through childhood tears.
   
   "Oh child! Think of Mrs. S, gone to be with our Savior. How sad we are, because we still must wait to see the glory she is experiencing!" Grandma described perfectly what I was feeling. We longed to be in heaven with Jesus. Those emotions continue to be my first response to the death of a Christian. Longing. Rejoicing. Awe.
   
   Think of it! This is what Diane knows: the Presence. The Friendship. The Power of the cross. God's enveloping Love. Blessed freedom to be completely whole and content, encompassed by God's perfection. Wow! Doesn't that take your breath away in anticipation, too?

"Redeemed how I love to proclaim it,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

Redeemed by his infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am..."

The old hymn reminds us that death is a doorway into a glorious future. We live each day here to the full so that we have no regrets when we see our Lord. We strain forward in anticipation to the day when life here ends and eternal life begins.

Diane's end was sudden, unexpected, and quick. Many of us will suffer illness and lingering goodbyes before we see what she is seeing. Before we know what she knows.

Being human means we are born and we die. Mixed with my feeling of missing this dear one, with feelings of sadness that she and I may never visit and chat here in person, I feel wonder and excitement for her ... and for all of us who believe. Some day this is our privilege and destiny, too. "How marvelous! How wonderful! And our song shall ever be, how marvelous, how wonderful is the Savior's love for me."

THIS living in the Presence is her reward. Surely not one of us would call her back from the beauty, peace, and love that surround her forever more.

How do you feel about death and dying? Have you fixed your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith?

Read more:
*Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. Psalm 84:5 NIV

*Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:22-26 NIV

*But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrata, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Micah 5:2 ESV

*When Jesus was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed." Luke 7:6-7 ESV

*To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! Revelation 2:8-9 (NIV)

Moravian Prayer: Heavenly Comforter, plant in our hearts the willingness to care for your children as you are continually caring for us. As we navigate the difficult times of our lives, give us strength to show your love always.

As we count our blessings, let us remember that there are many among your children who have yet to realize that you walk with all of us and carry us in your arms when we can no longer carry ourselves. Help us to show the light of your promise and support today. In the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Lent Day 32: Death work, just in time

One of our friends is walking her dad through his funeral program. They're not anticipating the actual day of his death of course, but they're discussing how his memorial celebration will be carried out. What a gift her father is leaving his family.

Scripture tells us to number our days. That life has limits. A dear friend is dying of cancer. Soon she will walk though the door from this life to the next if God does not intervene.

Her days, like mine and yours, are marked out for her from the beginning of time. Consider this: Adam would still be alive if humans didn't have to die. Think about that - every person born ... still alive.

Why do we avoid planning the end of this life? We know it's coming.

God does not guarantee an evening for each morning you or I awaken. One evening or some morning is crossed off your schedule and mine. We'll be dead. (Some days I'm more excited about that than others. Like my father-in-law said, 10 days before he died, "I can't wait! Soon I'll see what I've only believe. How wonderful will that be!")

Here's a question for you: how much do you love your siblings, your husband / wife, or your kids? Have you proved it by writing your will and appointing an executor to prevent a family hassle of apportioning assets and memorabilia? Wouldn't you hate to leave behind a mess that loved ones have to clean up, emotionally and physically? (Or don't you care that much about others? "After all, I'll be gone.")

Here's another question: Are you buildling a worthwhile legacy? How would you like to be remembered once your stuff is out of the way? 

Read more:

*Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1 NLT

*In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by. Psalm 57:1 NLT

*In Christ we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:14 NLT

*You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. James 5:11 NLT

Moravian Prayer: In the shadow of your wings may we take refuge this day in you, Father eagle and Mother hen. As we lean into your enfolding presence, may we feel your heartbeat, the comfort of your nearness, and your life-giving love.

Today, speak again your words of comfort and love, O Christ, saying, “Peace be with you”. May we hear these words in such a way that we are freed to see ourselves and others through your loving eyes. Amen.

A legacy of laughter, kindness, and prayer

Vancouver BC from space: Chris Hadfield NASA

There's remarkable unity in God's creativity. This week, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted incredible photos from his NASA space mission. I thought some of them were pictures of underwater coral formations. Nope, that's the ferry dock on the BC shoreline. From small to huge, the signature of God is beautifully consistent.

Waldemar's family buried his 99-year-old Uncle Ferdinand last weekend. That old man lived a live of consistent laughter, kindness, and prayer. (Obituary here.)

Uncle Ferdinand at 99

Uncle Ferdinand Hirch grew up in Poland and German. He was a hard worker, whether as a laborer or in his eventual profession as a baker of exquisite German breads and pastries. (Oh those marzipan rolls and cream horns!)

Parts of Uncle Ferdinand's life can only be described as difficult and miserable. His family was so poor that he had to leave home at an early age to look for work. As a young father, he was conscripted into the Russian army. He lost track of his wife and baby for nearly 2 years. He survived being shot through the face -- a bullet went through his nose and out his ear. "That bullet saved my life. I got out of the army!" he said, rejoicing in his life rather than complaining about his deafness. A German pastor happened to read the Red Cross missing persons bulletin after WWII, leading to the family being reunited.

Uncle Ferdinand and Aunt Lydia's only child became a missionary, a great hardship of distance between close-knit parents and child. Uncle F and Auntie L made a point of traveling to Brazil to help build churches, pray over each new grandchild (all five of them!), and sacrificially supporting their son's ministry. They prayed long hours, lived simply so they could be generous, and hosted hundreds of people in their home over the years. They tended a lush garden brimming with basics and exotics like asparagus in the spring, berries and potatoes throughout the summer, and cabbage and horseradish in the fall. They canned and cooked, baked and cleaned in the old European tradition.

Uncle Ferdinand suffered many physical crises through his 99 years. His baker's hours were a brutal 3am - afternoon. (My brother, who worked for him one year, exclaimed about the physical exertion as well as the extreme hours.) Yet Uncle Ferdinand never complained. He and Auntie L greeted every bakery customer with a cheerful hello or word of kindly advice.

He was a joker, telling simple stories from life with a laugh and viewing human interactions as a funny series of possibilities. He attributed his long life to the goodness of God.

Waldemar's uncle never missed a morning or evening church meeting he could get to, even after Auntie Lydia died nearly 10 years ago. The church's sanctuary was only accessible by a long flight of stairs but he climbed them, service after service. Before reaching those stairs, it took a great effort to cross the church parking lot from his senior apartment after a knee replacement in his 90s. Then a car hit him in a crosswalk, hurling his 95-year-old body into a heap on the ground. He was in the hospital for a while but kept his good humor and happy outlook. And he went back to sit in his pew as soon as he could.

At 99, he still rode his scooter to town to shop for groceries. He cooked his own food, kept a neat apartment, did his laundry, and shrugged off "too much help" even when climbing stairs. He shopped in town on a recent Friday, howdy-ed with people who knew him, and died when his heart stopped that evening. He was almost halfway through the year toward his 100th birthday.

"He was always glad to see us!" According to his grandkids, he was cheerful as he ate, sang, and prayed with them last Christmas. He didn't complain about the noise of his 12 great-grandkids, nor the effort it took to get to his grandson's house for Christmas dinner, nor about having to Skype greetings to his son and daughter-in-law in faraway Brazil rather than hugging them in person.

Flying over Key Largo: Chris Hatfield, NASA

The consistency of Uncle Ferdinand's life reminds me of what only God can do in us. From his creativity and wholeness in micro to macro worlds, life with God is stunning in its integrity and beauty.

Over 100 people attended the funeral on Saturday, many in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. The memorial was that "small" only because most of his traveling companions have already died.

Who do you know with a similar legacy? Are you leaving similar good memories behind for your friends and family?

Read more:
*The Lord God is a sun and shield. Psalm 84:11

*Solomon also made all the furnishings of the Temple of the LORD: the gold altar; the gold table for the Bread of the Presence; the lampstands of solid gold, five on the south and five on the north, in front of the Most Holy Place; the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs—all of gold; … the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, with their fronts overlaid with gold.

So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the LORD. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the LORD's Temple. 1 Kings 7:48–51

*It is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

Moravian Prayer: Dear Father of light, thank you for shielding us so we can worship you another day. Continue to remove darkness from our souls and spirits so we may be beacon lights in your name for others to follow. Amen.