I would like to share with you the significance of the first Psalm we hope to sing on Jorges funeral. Three and a half years ago on a crisp, cold, sunny, Saturday afternoon, the Lord took from us our son Andy. We had had enormous amounts of snow that week and that morning Kevin had borrowed a Bobcat to push up the snow. He had all the little guys excited because he was pushing it all up onto one pile to use for sledding. When it appeared to them that Kevin was done, Andy and Douglas ran along the top of a 4 ft. embankment toward the pile. At the exact moment that the Bobcat was beside them they both slipped and slid down toward the machine. Andy appears from the autopsy to have hit his head breaking his first vertebra, and was instantly gone. Douglas escaped unscathed. People surrounded us with singing and prayer; comforting us greatly. However, when they all left we went to bed, but sleep would not come. The blankets were too heavy, breathing was difficult. So many questions arose: Severe depression was in Kevins family - Would he now succumb? Would he be able to continue to support us? Would the children cope? The only accurate word for the pain was a burn like stinging, making me question why the writer would say oh, death where is your sting? I did question why it had to happen. Was God really in control? But then on the funeral, Rev. Louwerse came to me before the service telling me there had been a mistake, we had intended to sing Hymn 63, but instead it said Ps. 63 on the program. He assured me that it was okay though. Ps 63: 1 and 2: You are my God, I seek your face. O God, for you I thirst and languish; For you my flesh grows faint with anguish Here in this dry and weary place. When I stood in your sanctuary, where you are worshipped and adored, I there beheld your greatness, Lord And marveled at your power and glory. Your steadfast love is better far than life itself, O God my Saviour. Your faithfulness will never waver; my lips your praises will declare. With joyful singing I will bless you and all my life your love proclaim. With hands uplifted in your name, I will in thankful prayer address you. The thought that Gods love is better than life itself so comforted me that for weeks, every morning I started my day singing that Psalm. It gave me focus, that all my life I should proclaim that love. I hope that I can help you to believe that there are no accidents, like it was no accident that this Psalm ended up on the program and comforted me every new day. As C.S. Lewis says in his book, The Problem of Pain: your place in heaven will seem to be made for you, and you alone, because you were made for it - stitch by stitch as a glove is made for a hand. God is forming us now for the life here after. Some parts of our life, like knitting a glove are very difficult, but they make the fit better. Oh, that we will be able to go forward continuing to trust Him.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 07:49:05 +0000