I was reminded this week of how quickly things can change. I listened to the wife of our dear brother share at his funeral, “I never imagined that this time last week, I would be standing up here talking about the loss of my husband.”
Whether a loved one suffers over a period of time with an illness or is taken suddenly, the moment of death is instantaneous. You can carry a child for nine months, but they are not born until they enter this world; so too with death. They are not gone until that moment when life is no more.
As I picked up the memorial card for my friend, printed below his picture were these words:
“God has prepared me for this moment.”
I could hear him saying them. Sounded just like him, because I’d seen the life he lived, heard the words he spoke. He was a man in peace and ready to go whenever required.
His funeral was unusual, as every member of his family, his wife and five children, walked up to the podium and spoke. They didn’t share simple memories of the man they knew and loved, but gave testimony to the life he lived in obedience and love of the Lord he served. Where there tears? Yes, but there was so much more — peace, assurance, confidence, thankfulness, blessing.
Wow, what a legacy he left. Did he leave behind a perfect family? No, but he left behind a family that knew he loved God above all else, and then loved his family and others.
As I sat there and listened, I knew that many in the audience were perhaps at a loss for what was happening, what they were hearing, but I knew, because I knew him, and I knew the God he served. He truly was prepared, and even with the tragedy of the loss, they could rejoice in the life he lived and be comforted knowing where he now was.
If your life came to an end tonight, are you prepared? Do you have the assurance of your final destination when this earth is home no more? Do you live your life in such a way that whether tomorrow comes or not, you’ve lived to your fullest and to his glory?
You can’t get yourself prepared, there is only One who can prepare you for that day. He paid a great price to do so. Give your life to him, that you can say with confidence, “God has prepared me for this moment” without qualm, doubt or fear.
Grace and Peace
Very touching!
Thank you, Ray.