Grieving with hope

In the last four days I attended two different memorial services, in two different states. They couldn't have been more of a contrast.

While I was in California, my mother told me of the passing of a long-time friend of her and Dad's. His memorial service was the next day so we attended it on Sunday morning. I was thankful to have been there the weekend of this service, mainly so Mom and I could see some old friends, including the four step-children of this man. I had grown up with them in the first neighborhood that I could remember. It was a great time of reminiscing.

The heart-breaking part of this event was the service itself. There were no prayers, no songs, and just a passing mention of God. All we did was take turns standing up and telling what this man meant to us. Then we were dismissed and went to a luncheon at a local hotel.

What a stark contrast to what I witnessed yesterday! Kerri Lane, a precious woman of God, left this earth last week to be welcomed into the arms of her Savior. She was only 44, succumbing to a brief battle with cancer. Leaving behind two young girls...and an amazing legacy.

Two women who worked with her in Bible Study Fellowship sang songs of praise. One of our shepherds, Bob Gomez, led us in a very moving and tearful prayer. A group from our church sang. Kerri was a part of this group whose ministry was to go each Thursday night to the Hospice wing of a local hospital and sing hymns to dying people.

Then our preacher, Mike Cope, got up and told stories of Kerri's Christ- centered life. This woman was in love with Jesus, and told every one she could about what Christ was doing in her life. She even told a telemarketer, who called her back later and eventually was led to a Bible study. I love this line from her obituary:

"The legacy of her life and the heritage she leaves her children is the aroma of the grace, generosity, kindness, humility, forgiveness, trust, love and joy that she gave to all who were blessed to know and love her. A gift of the Lord, it was never about Kerri, always about Him."

In his message, as he especially spoke to Kerri's two young daughters, Mike asked the question, "Why did she die at such a young age?" His answer was, "I don't know." Yet we can still trust in the Lord and believe that He does love us, even though we cannot understand His ways.

Last Sunday I left in a sad mood from the memorial service for my mother's friend. There was no celebration of hope beyond the grave, no praise of Jesus. And yet leaving Kerri's memorial service yesterday, I was filled with praise of how awesome our God is and what He does in a life abandoned to Jesus. We grieved with hope.

Lord Jesus, make me like Kerri Lane...as she was like You. In my funeral, above all, I pray that it will be a celebration of a life lived for You and an event where people will go away in awe of the beauty and majesty of Jesus.

On the journey home,

Jim