Good morning…
The sun rises today to host a funeral for a father. Let me tell you of the days leading up to this morning.
Our 17-year-old son brought a good friend with us on spring break in Florida, and on the second evening of our vacation this friend got a call from his mother in Atlanta. The phone was filled with horrible news. His father was found dead in his apartment in Athens, seems his 52-year-old body simply shut down and his passionate spirit returned to the God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
“No! No! No!” this stunned son screamed. “It’s not true. You’re lying. He’s not dead. No! No! No!” My husband was with him in the private pool house during his first excruciating moments. “No! No! No! This isn’t happen. He’s still alive. No! No! No!” His 17-year-old mind and heart unraveled into the unthinkable.
After a few loud, long minutes, this boy-man came upstairs and received tender, loving hugs from me, the other set of parents, and our two speechless sons. Then without missing a beat, our growing up young men hopped with their friend into the golf cart, drove two minutes to the beach, and, staring into the starry black night, for over an hour they shared story after story of this multidimensional dad who will be so deeply missed.
I have heard people talk about the lostness of the young men in this generation. That memorable night and each moment since, I have witnessed through teary eyes the absolute opposite. The best parts of these young friends are being found together. Face to face, soul to soul, they are tapping into a hidden, God-given capacity to love, to heal, and to “be with” in profoundly powerful ways.
This youngest son and his two brothers will give tribute to their father at today’s 2:00 pm funeral and my husband will offer a touching, heartfelt eulogy for our grieving community. Tapping into our own hidden, God-given capacity to love, to heal, to “be with,” together in our lostness we are all being found by the God who gives us each a seed of divine spirit for one short lifetime before welcoming back home our spirits forever.
Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:6-8, NLT).
…Sue…
