Funerals

Two years ago this week, one of the most amazing young ladies who has ever been a part of our high school ministry was killed in a car wreck. This week, we thought our friends’ 5-year-old might be going home to Jesus, but instead, she got to go back home with her earthly family. Last night, my husband preached a sermon for a Good Friday service titled, “The funny thing about funerals.”

Of course, your first thought is naturally, “there’s nothing funny about a funeral!” Unless you’ve been around a funeral home director in his unguarded moments—they all have funny stories. Anyway, my hubby talked about how we don’t know how to act when there is a dead person in the room. And how freaked everyone would be if the dead person suddenly wasn’t, if he got up out of the casket. The point is, that is how the world should be when they are around us. If we are truly alive in Christ (Philippians 3) it should be so freaky, the world wants to know what is up.

The two young ladies I mentioned in the first paragraph qualify. The high schooler was so different, so freaky for Jesus…everyone she ever met knew how she felt about her savior. Hundreds of people came to the funeral. People who hadn’t ever been to church. People who kept coming back. She had more impact in her short years than most of us will make in decades. And the 5-year-old…she has people on their knees around the globe on her behalf. The people at the hospital marveled at all the cards. They wanted to know who was this small person, what was so special about her, and her family? The answer is simple. Jesus. Alive. Not dead. Not in a tomb. Ever again!

I want to live like that.

Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday!