WE REMEMBER

WE REMEMBER

On this holiday, in the USA, we commemorate MEMORIAL DAY.  We pause in sobriety to remember family members, friends, along with the courageous military personnel who have served our nation via the ultimate sacrifice.  In the immediacy of the passing of loved ones (especially in the near-term), our focus rests almost exclusively on the details of their demise.  We reflect on the medical emergencies, the hospital admissions, the tragic accidents, the painful notifications of young lives lost prematurely, the seniors whose death (while anticipated) was no less painful, and all the other factors that led to the eternal transition of people we love.

Some losses are so sudden, so tragic, so monumental, that they shake us to our very core, for instance a parent’s loss of a child.  Nevertheless, with the passage of time, profound grief morphs into joyful memories of sunnier days and shared life experiences.

Today, as you reflect on the legacy of loved ones, remember life’s tiny and unanticipated moments of joy: those mutual smiles broadly shared when good news knocked at your door, those modest, unplanned, non-holiday gifts – treasured so much since they sprang spontaneously from the heart, those shared occasions of merriment and full-throated laughter that were stirred by familiar anecdotes or family successes.

So remember with joy those intimate hours of fellowship and the breaking of bread together, the powerful togetherness of shared worship experiences, and yes, even those worn-out-yet-comfortable 'house clothes' you did not necessarily like yet s/he seemed to cling to and dearly love, those unforgettable milestones that make up every life: the pure joy of traveling through time together, family holidays, trips and vacations, the occasional tears and ever-present triumphs, the weddings, the births, the funerals, the vast array of good days or bad, along with the discussions, disagreements and decisions that make our time on earth a rich and rounded experience.

It all adds up to something significantly special and simply miraculous: this marvelous and mysterious adventure that we call LIFE.  And it is so much greater, grander and glorious since you have shared it with people that you truly love.  So remember to treasure every single moment of it with joy and with a smile. 

On this Memorial Day, we pause to think of loved ones who have gone before.  And every believer will also reflect with joy on the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, without whom families and friendships would not be possible.  Jesus Christ, we remember You, and we recognize that You are able to totally transform every memory of things or people (lost and found) into ultimate and eternal joy. 

Thank You…

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!