Wednesday August 1, 2007
Last night at 11:00 pm I got the call we'd been expecting for several days. My father-in-law, Gilbert, had passed away quietly. Now the busyness begins: close out the apartment, store the furniture, pay the final bills, deal with the finances, the lawyers and the morticians. But in a few weeks, the finality will become real, and we'll begin to realize we'll never spend another moment with him. He had always been the crabby, critical old goat who sat at my dinner table a few times a year and belittled me for my faith. It was hurtful, and I admit many times I chose to avoid spending time with him, instead of pouring God's love on him. I have to ask God's forgiveness for that.
In the past two months as I have thrown myself into this, Gilbert's final journey, I have come to see him as I never had before. I now know he was a frightened, lonely old guy who was suddenly facing the end of his life, and didn't know how to feel about it. He continued to be completely unwilling to hear the Gospel message, regardless of how many times we all tried to explain it to him. He insisted that he had never been a bad person (true) and therefore deserved any reward the next life might offer (untrue).
So now he's stepped into eternity. No one knows where he is today. We do know we have done our part, telling him the message, showing him our own faith, being faithful to the God we serve. We also know we are not the ultimate Judge of man's soul -- thank heaven for that! -- and that our God is a fair and loving Father. But in that fairness and love, He has freely offered the way to an eternity in glory. If Gilbert denied that fairness and refused that love, he today stands separated from his own Father. This side of eternity, none of us will know where Gilbert's journey has taken him. We can only prepare our own souls, and pray for the souls of those yet undecided.
May heaven be a sweeter place because your name and mine are written in the Book of Life. I want to see you there.
Last night at 11:00 pm I got the call we'd been expecting for several days. My father-in-law, Gilbert, had passed away quietly. Now the busyness begins: close out the apartment, store the furniture, pay the final bills, deal with the finances, the lawyers and the morticians. But in a few weeks, the finality will become real, and we'll begin to realize we'll never spend another moment with him. He had always been the crabby, critical old goat who sat at my dinner table a few times a year and belittled me for my faith. It was hurtful, and I admit many times I chose to avoid spending time with him, instead of pouring God's love on him. I have to ask God's forgiveness for that.
In the past two months as I have thrown myself into this, Gilbert's final journey, I have come to see him as I never had before. I now know he was a frightened, lonely old guy who was suddenly facing the end of his life, and didn't know how to feel about it. He continued to be completely unwilling to hear the Gospel message, regardless of how many times we all tried to explain it to him. He insisted that he had never been a bad person (true) and therefore deserved any reward the next life might offer (untrue).
So now he's stepped into eternity. No one knows where he is today. We do know we have done our part, telling him the message, showing him our own faith, being faithful to the God we serve. We also know we are not the ultimate Judge of man's soul -- thank heaven for that! -- and that our God is a fair and loving Father. But in that fairness and love, He has freely offered the way to an eternity in glory. If Gilbert denied that fairness and refused that love, he today stands separated from his own Father. This side of eternity, none of us will know where Gilbert's journey has taken him. We can only prepare our own souls, and pray for the souls of those yet undecided.
May heaven be a sweeter place because your name and mine are written in the Book of Life. I want to see you there.
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