On My Way to a Funeral

While I was driving to Ted’s funeral service, I felt quiet, solemn, pensive.

Swallowed by my thoughts and sort of lost in the flow of cars humming past me – the movement of traffic coming from behind and the cars in the lanes beside me I wondered, as I glanced around, through windows, is everyone going to his funeral?

Is that car going to turn right up ahead like me and then left into the church parking lot too? What about that car? Or that one?

Are those people in the car next to me sad and filled with so many emotions like I am right now?

What about her in the car up ahead? Is she, like me, wondering what she’s going to say? If she’ll find the words? Or if she’ll dissolve into the gathering and leave unnoticed?

Is it going to be a solemn, quiet event or a joyful one or some kind of perfect harmony of both? Is the sadness going to be too much to bear? Too difficult to see in the eyes of others?

What about that guy over there? Is he hurting with the loss also? Is he on his way like I am into facing the Deep Emotions of a world without someone we all loved so much?

And then I started thinking about how honestly everyone IS going to a funeral.

Maybe not today like I was – going to a funeral… but honestly if you think about it, aren’t we all going to a funeral ultimately?

Someone we knew back when…

someone we loved…

a childhood friend…

someone we had just gotten to know…

someone who has gone too soon..

someone who got to live all the way to that beautiful “ripe old age”…

“All the days ordained for me were written in Your Book before one of them came to be…”

I know this.

The thing is…

We’re all on our way to a funeral.

What are we doing on the way? What am I doing?

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

That’s what I’m doing on my way. What else can I do?

Worry? Be overcome? Stop it all? No.

Pressing on, eyes on Him.

One day to be reunited with those who’ve gone before me

Today I live.

Walking, moving, and yet…

…on my way to another funeral, but still pointing to Him and inviting all I can to join me.

Let’s go have hope and live free together.

Grief is hard. It’s long and weighty and goes about as smoothly as walking across a room scattered with Legos. I will pray for you – with you – sit and talk and connect with you. You don’t have to go through this alone. Reach out Here.

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