Celebrating Life

    Recently, I attended a memorial service for a long-time member of my church. I also attended the wedding of a family member. Both events took place the same day which could seem odd as it rarely happens. David left behind a legacy of faithfulness to the Lord and the Gospel. You could say he died with his boots on. Blake and Leah said their vows promising faithfulness to each other. You could say they were putting their boots on. Then, I realized we were celebrating life in both cases.

I first heard about David when I was a new attendee at Grace. The congregation was fervently praying for his wife, Debbie, who was battling leukemia. She passed away shortly after. What I didn’t know at the time was David had been suffering from pancreatic cancer for several years. He had defied the odds. 

I got to know David better when he became a member of the care group that meets at our house. His compassion for others was clear and he was fiercely independent. When we started the grief support group at the church, he was there every week. He would arrive several minutes late and head straight to make himself a cup of coffee. When he joined the circle, he very often had a stack of books to share with the group. He would set them out for anyone to take. His contributions to the discussion began with a long pause as he gathered his thoughts. 

Eventually, David’s cancer became too difficult to control with medication and he faced his end with a calm that was enviable. He lived alone until just a few days before entering the Lord’s presence. Yes, he died with his boots on.

Blake and Leah, though, were beginning a life together. The ceremony took place outdoors in the blistering North Carolina heat. I could feel the anticipation as we waited for the bride to walk the aisle escorted by her father. The groom was emotional as he watched her glide toward him with confidence. The audience looked on with wistful smiles as the couple said their vows to each other. Then, suddenly they were pronounced husband and wife. And just like that they had become a family. 

The entire evening was centered around beginning a new life together. They took pictures. We watched them cut the cake. Then we sent them off in a cloud of bubbles. It wasn’t long after that the guests began to disperse and head home. As I blasted the car’s air conditioner vent in my face, I realized we celebrated life that day. We remembered and were thankful for David’s life as a faithful servant of the Lord. We congratulated Blake and Leah on a life begun together. We pray they seek to honor the Lord with faithfulness to each other and to Him who created life. 

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