Last night I went to the memorial service of someone that I didn't know very well. He went to my church and was a part of the newly marrieds ministry. His name was Brian, and he died in his sleep last weekend at the age of 28.
His wife, his widow, was his high school sweetheart, and she wrote an exceptionally well-crafted statement, a sweet letter of hope and recollection, that was read aloud at the service... I spoke to her very briefly afterwards and was incredibly impressed with her poise and grace throughout it all. She hugged and accepted the condolances of a huge crowd of people after the service and she seemed so strong throughout all of it.
Brian was a man who loved the Lord, and so - appropriately - his memorial service was filled with hope, with worship, and with a clear presentation of the gospel. And despite not having any of my own stories to share, I was moved to tears during several of the testimonies. I left wishing that I had known him better and realizing the enormous ache that his untimely passing will leave in the hearts of so many.
Perhaps the hardest thing for me personally was the realization - once again - of how tenuous life really is. I go about my days and years so casually, it seemed to me as I walked home... What am I doing here? Last night was a sober reminder that God has specific number of days for me to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him with my life. How am I using them? Of all that fills my days, what is really important in the long run? It was really a lot to consider.
His wife said after the service that "support has no expiration date"... She's certainly aware of how hard the next season of her life will be and how she will need to lean on others. I pray that our church community would love her well in the months and years to come. And I pray that I would live my life fully, as Brian did, and that those who remember me would say that I pointed them always to Christ.
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