In last Saturday's post I mentioned seeing a family friend who was in the final days of his life. The call came early Saturday evening, that Mel Blade had went home to be with the Lord.
Mel grew up with my mom, and I grew up with his kids, we may not have the same blood running through our veins but to me, we are family. They have been there for me more times than I can count and every one of them are on my short list of people I know I can count on, and I truly hope they know they can count on me.
It seems over the last few years, we have lost several of the people I looked up to and learned from. And it is dawning on me, kind of reluctantly, that I am becoming that generation for the ones younger than me. I read my Bible every morning, and would love to have Ruth Marrs' knowledge of the Bible, or Vaneta Carr's. You could be talking to them about anything in the world, and I swear, they could quote you a Bible verse (and reference) that goes with that situation. I try and try, but I don't believe I will ever be there, but I will try. It was mentioned at the funeral that someone wanted to know if it is okay to talk to your loved one after they passed on. I know two people that I would downright consider experts on the Bible, two local people that I have heard speak tons of times and they have opposing views, I align myself with one of them.
So, here is my very own probably highly controversial opinion.
When my dad died, I was 13. I was 6 months from graduating from the 8th grade, 9 months from starting high school, less than 3 years from getting my drivers license, less than 5 years from graduating high school, and you get the picture. There were things I wanted my dad to see, I wanted him to be a part of, and I personally believe he did. People who say he can't are limiting God. Some people say, "your loved one is not going to care less about what is going on here on earth", but I think about the rich man and Lazarus. Some people believe this is a parable, but it was never addressed as a parable, nor does it really fit the definition of "an earthly story with a Heavenly meaning", and he calls Lazarus by name, none of the people in parables had names. Anyway, the rich man was able to see Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. And Abraham talked to the rich man, who was in Hell. And then there is Hebrews 12:1. "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," I believe that "cloud" of witnesses are those ones who have went before us, and now, they are our cheering section for the rest of our lives. And yes, I have talked to my dad. The preacher who preached the funeral, seemed to have similar thoughts but he laughed and said, and if your dad can't hear you, Jesus can tell him, you know He is right there. Point.
All of this being said, I am sure that when a fellow believer gets to Heaven, the Bible definitely supports the fact that we will know each other when we get to Heaven. I am using an excerpt from Dr. Billy Graham:
DEAR DR. GRAHAM: Do you think we will recognize each other in Heaven? My husband died last year, and it would horrify me to think that we might not know each other because God had given us different appearances or something. -- Mrs. M.L.
DEAR MRS. M.L.: While the Bible doesn't answer all our questions about Heaven, I have no doubt we will recognize each other there. In fact, the Bible indicates we will know each other more fully than we do now. The Apostle Paul declared, "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).
It's true that our appearance will change, because God will give us new bodies, similar to Jesus' resurrection body. Those bodies will never grow old or tired, nor will they ever experience pain or suffering or death. As the Bible says, "For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:52). What a glorious promise!
But we will still know each other. When Jesus was transformed into His heavenly glory before the eyes of some of His disciples, "His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light" (Matthew 17:2). And yet His disciples still recognized Him, and so did Moses and Elijah who came from Heaven to speak with Him.
Thank God for our hope of eternal life -- a hope we have only because Jesus Christ died and rose again to take away our sins. This is your hope -- and it can be the hope of every person reading this column, as they turn to Christ and trust Him alone for their salvation.
So, I have had this thought about Mel seeing my dad this week. Last week, when I saw Mel, his daughter Jan, who lives in Delaware was there. Mel was very weak, but we were talking about Robert, whom Mel loved, and Robert loved him as well. He said, "when I get to feeling a little better, I'm going to tell Jan all about Robert". I have heard it though my head this week of Mel getting to my dad, and saying, "I'm going to tell you all about Robert," and that makes my heart smile.
My final thought on all of this though is that God promised us comfort, and if our comfort is in knowing we aren't ever really that far from our loved ones, then that is what He has left us with.
Rick, who preached Mel's funeral, read a poem and I thought it was very relevant,
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
I am leaving you with Andrea Crouch's Through It All, it was one of Mel's favorite songs and we sang it at his funeral.
I hope whatever you are going through this week, you can find strength from the Lord and those little chinks in our armor from those loved ones who have "been there, done that" and are now cheering us on from the sidelines. Have a good week!
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