In the Blink of an Eye

I recently read somewhere that as a child of God, death is a promotion. That is a perfect way to put it, in my opinion. However, to those of us left behind when a loved one dies, it is so difficult to see anything but the heart-wrenching pain and hopelessness. I know when Glennie died, I had so many questions. "Why?" "What am I going to do now?" "How do I live with this?" Suddenly, life was not just different, it was changed forever, never to go back to the way it was, not even a little bit. It was new, unfamiliar and, unwanted. We were happy that Glennie had been "promoted," was no longer suffering, no longer had to struggle to breathe, and never had to feel pain or fear again. However, as those left behind, we knew we were embarking on a lifelong struggle with the pain and sorrow of losing him.

Last week, the world lost a great man. He was taken suddenly, and many, many lives were changed in the blink of an eye. From what I have seen and heard about him, I know that he was a hard-working young man of God with a happy spirit, who was a loving and devoted husband, father, son, friend, and teacher. He was killed in a car accident last week that left his family, friends, students, and a church family reeling. I am sorry to say I did not really know him, but I still find myself shocked that this happened, and my heart still breaks for those who love him. I know the pain of being left behind after the death of someone I love, but I am still shaking my head in disbelief, not being able to comprehend the pain of a young woman who has just lost her husband. I know the pain of preparing for the funeral of someone I never thought I would ever have to bury, but like so many others, I just struggle to comprehend this. He also leaves behind a young daughter and an unborn child. He had so much life ahead of him, and so much to look forward to. It is so easy to forget that God has his own plans that oftentimes are quite different from our own. I learned this through Glennie's illness and through his death, but at times like these, there are so many questions that go left unanswered. I know, though, that the key to this is faith. It brings to mind Romans 8:28, which says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Yet, through the devastating, world-altering pain of being left behind, it is hard to see anything good about it. Dr. James Dobson says,

"First, it must be noted from this Scripture that Paul didn't say all things were good. He wasn't claiming that death, sickness, and sorrow were really positives in disguise. But he did tell us that God has promised to take these hardships and bring good from them. As long as what happens to me is within the perfect will of the Father, I have no reason to fear — even if it costs me my life. It is an article of our faith that we can trust Him to do what is best, even if it appears contrary to our own wishes or the prevailing attitudes of the day."

I am not sure I understand how people get by without this knowledge and the faith that God knows best. I am not sure how we get through dealing with death without the knowledge that God loves us and knows what is best for us. The pain of suffering will probably last for a long time, but not forever. God's wisdom and extreme love for us, however, is indefinite.

I know this young man, Jon, is in Heaven, and it is so easy to see the positive effect he had in the lives of so many people. If you are reading this, please join me in praying for those left behind; his wife Amy, their young daughter and unborn child, his parents, brothers, in-laws, and countless friends.