Several times a ten yr. old boy asked his mother, “What is it like to die?” She prayed that God would give her the wisdom to give her son the right answer to his all-important question. One day the answer came.
The next time he asked what is it like to die, she replied. Do you remember when you were very small and you would visit your grandmother’s until late in the evening? Your dad and I would drop you off at grandma’s house but when we returned to get you, you would be asleep. Your father would pick you up and put you in the car. When we got home he would carry you and put you in your bed. You didn’t even know until you woke up the next AM.
You went to sleep at grandma’s, but you would wake up the next morning in your own bed.
That’s what it’s like to die. One day we will go to sleep down here. Jesus will take us in His strong arms to our real home, and we’ll wake up in the Father’s house. The little boy was satisfied with that answer. We should be as well.
When I received the call about 3:30 last Wednesday afternoon, I prayed right then and thanked the Lord for the gift He gave us when He sent _____. I asked the Lord to take care of him from here on. I saw in my mind the gates of heaven open wide. I saw the bright light shining, the angels were singing, and people, lots of people were coming out to greet him and welcome him home. I immediately felt at peace in my heart.
Even though this is a sad day for all of us, we should rejoice that _____ is in no more pain and is living in a place that is so beautiful that he wouldn’t want to return. We prayed that God would take away his pain and suffering. And from God’s view of things, our prayers have been answered. _____ deserves that freedom from his suffering. He deserves that peace and the joy he has now.
_____ would expect us to cling to the memories. But he would also expect us to go on with life, not dwelling on his passing away. Jesus doesn’t want us dwelling on _____’s passing either. That’s why He said,
“Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself that where I am you may be also. . .I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me; because I live, you shall live also. . . Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. . . Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
You see, Jesus promised _____ that He has gone on before him in order to prepare a mansion for him. He prepared a place for him because He knew that our physical bodies would wear out. Jesus knew our physical bodies are only temporary.
The past two years have really been rough on _____ as he battled the cancer with chemotherapy and surgeries and medication. At times it seemed like all that was doing more harm than good. We witnessed how temporary the human body is. As the days drug on and _____ grew weaker and weaker, he began assuring himself and us that he was ready. He knew where he was going.
You see, that’s why Jesus said, “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” Jesus knew that all this is temporary. None of it, none of us will last forever here on earth.
But our new home, the mansion that _____ is living in right now will never decay.
Paul said it and we can claim it.
“To be absent from this body is to be face to face with the Lord.” There is no in between. At the moment of death, the Christian moves into the presence of the Lord. That’s why Jesus said to the thief on the cross beside Him, “Today, thou shalt be with Me in paradise.” Glen knew that. He knew where he was headed.
Our Christian hope is not based on wishful thinking. It’s built on the dependability and the trustworthiness of God Himself. So we can face death today with confidence and assurance of who God is and what He has done.
The quality of _____’s life makes his physical struggles and his early death that much more difficult to accept. Nothing hurts us more than to see a loved one have to suffer so much and then be taken away before their time.
A doctor once commented about the miracles of God. He said, “Sometimes a miracle occurs when death comes quickly so that the suffering is not prolonged.” That happened in _____’s case. For him to remain would have meant prolonged suffering. And even though we didn’t want him to leave us, that wouldn’t have been living for _____. We can’t know the future. All we can do is trust Christ.
Does anybody really doubt that _____ is with God? I don’t. Without life beyond the grave, life here and now makes no sense at all. And I know that the time will come when we, too, will cross over that divide, and we will see the white light, and hear the angels sing, and we will also join in that grand reunion with our loved ones and with God almighty.
God is the God of salvation. Glen accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He had nothing to fear. And we know, that because of God’s promises, he will be cared for so much better than we can even imagine.
God saved him. And he will save us as well. He doesn’t save us from trouble, He saves us in trouble. He doesn’t isolate us from trouble, or suffering, or sorrow. Today is evidence of that. But He insulates us in it. He doesn’t get us out. But He does get us through. God enters into our experiences with us and helps us through them. He is present with us now.
After all, God knows how we feel. He isn’t asking us to go through something that he has not gone through Himself. God lost a loved one as well.
Last Tuesday when I was visiting with _____, I told him it wasn’t going to be long until Jesus reached down His hand. I told him to just take Him by the hand. He didn’t need to continue to suffer like he was.
So on Wednesday, when _____ knew it was time, he allowed the Lord to pick him up and carry him to his eternal home.
Prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. And it is prayer that will sustain us in the coming days. Remember, our help comes from the Lord. I pray for each of you today and in the coming days. My prayer is that each of you leans on Him more than ever.
So today is a day of celebration as well as sadness. We celebrate the life of ______ _____. A person of character and kindness.
We celebrate his deliverance from pain and suffering.
But more than anything, we celebrate his eternal life with God.
PRAYER
