Saturday, July 27, 2013

The passing of a loved one.

    On July 15th we lost our dear sweet Juanita. She first came into our life when I was planting the church in Columbus Indiana. I will never forget her coming in with 4 of her grandchildren, she was soon saved and God radically changed her life. She was also to take a deeper step into our lives, when her and my father married a few years after my mother passed away. She always showered us with love and we were blessed to have her in our family for several years.
    I spent the better part of four days with dad at the hospital as she was slipping away. I have spent these kind of moments with many families and it is never easy. Although the hours were long and the emotions of various family members, coming from various spiritual levels was challenging, of course God was with us. There were a few things that were of particular comfort to me.

1. Physical Family-family members both close by and from out of state came and allowed their presents to be a meaningful comfort to us.
2. Spiritual Family-many who God has connected us to through our years of church work came and surrounded us and it was so meaningful.
3. Church Family-The people of Dad and Juanita's church were there  for them in a big way.
4. Expressions of our faith.
    1. The first morning that we realized she was not going to make it several of us gathered around her bed and sang for a long period of time. Though I like all kinds of Christian music, we now sing mostly newer songs in our worship services. I must admit as we surrounded her and sang, no books, just our memories, people spontaneously leading out and the rest following, those hymns and old country gospel songs really ministered comfort and healing to my soul.
    2. A Sunday afternoon worship service. Dad arranged for us to gather in her room for worship on the 14th. People from his church and various other churches came, and family members (some who are lost), observed as we worshiped the Lord together. Though we were not of like faith and order, we did have the truth of salvation in common and that is what mattered in that moment. It was awesome.
    3. A funeral that was a celebration. If you have never been to a Bourland funeral (I mean from the Don Bourland line, there have only been two so far), then you have missed an experience. It is like one of the most upbeat and exciting church services you could ever attend. It is quite the opposite of most funerals. There is congregational singing with shouting and expressions of joy, there is preaching that elevates the place that the passing loved one has achieved through their faith in Christ, and there is a clear warning that the only way to be prepared for the day of your funeral is to receive Jesus as you savior. I have given clear instruction to my children that my funeral is to be the biggest celebration yet.

    We are going to miss her dearly, especially dad, but the knowledge of our reunion keeps us encouraged and pressing on in our service for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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