Another Person I Know has Gone into Eternity
In the last two months, there have been five deaths of people that I had a close connection with. And just recently it happened in my immediate family. This is averaging about one person in a week. I haven’t experienced such a succession of deaths. Wow! Georgia, North Carolina, Lindenwold, NJ, Camden, NJ, and yesterday, New York.
However, in December 2002, a few days after we returned from Europe, a friend who lived in Lawnside passed away. I had just taken the train back to Greensboro from Philadelphia when the news came. A few of us traveled to New Jersey to attend the funeral services.
While we were enroute to Greensboro from the funeral, someone called and told us that my mother’s sister had passed. And a cousin’s husband's service was scheduled for the next day. We asked one of the people who sang with my mother’s group to sing at my aunt’s service. That did not happen because the lady passed before my aunt’s funeral.
That was four people who passed in a week’s time, which was more overwhelming than the five that passed in a month. My friends, that’s a lot, but what about people who lose their entire family in an accident or some other way? If you haven’t experienced this, that’s a blessing.
The last death notice that I received was yesterday; two days prior to my nephew’s service. Although this is difficult when there is one death after the other, God gives us the grace to endure, His all-sufficient grace gives us peace and He comforts us directly by His Word, through His Spirit and He uses people.
The rapidity of death that has hit close to home with me, reminds me of Job; before one devastating thing happened, something else came upon him. Although what happened with the deaths of people I know cannot be compared to Job’s sad experience. It reminds me of how quickly things happen that can be overwhelming.
I plan to travel to different states a few times this summer, Lord willing. During my conversation with others, we are thanking the Lord for many of us being able to see each other again, because “This May be the Last Time, We Don’t Know”
On that note, let’s do everything possible to love one another.
And let's not forget Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, the Suffering Servant who died and rose for us to have eternal life. That's Love in the rarest and most incredible form.
Betty A. Burnett ~ burnettministries.org
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