A friend of mine died this week. Her name was Beth. She was one who helped to start our church 22 years ago.
She really was a remarkable woman. She was a single mom with three kids and was working as a secretary at a
local vocational school. The school became a part of a purchase by a company in Texas and they decided that
they would close it down and use whatever assets they could. That meant that she would be out of a job. So,
she decided to go to Texas and make an offer to buy the school from them. I’m not sure what kind of a deal she
made or how she made it, but she ended up buying the school and then established 3 more campuses in our
valley. She and her daughter became partners in that venture, and I got to know them over thirty years ago
when they walked into the church I was at and told me that it was time for their family to get back to going to
church. When it came time to start our new church, we began by meeting out on their ranch property in a barn
that they had. Beth was generous, funny, hard-working and a wonderful friend. She was with me in worship
and Bible studies. But as her health deteriorated, I saw her less and less on our campus. The last time I saw her,
she was still being cared for by her daughter and family at the ranch. She wasn’t able to talk clearly so we just
held hands and I read from the Bible. And when it was time to say “goodbye” to my old friend, I bent down
close to her bed, and she grabbed my face in her hands and kissed me on the cheek one last time. We know that
no one leaves this planet alive, but the death of one we love hurts our hearts. But you know what? The Bible
says that God takes death seriously too. He knows the pain and loss that we feel when our loved ones leave us
in death. He cares about them and about how that leaving of family and friends wounds us. The Psalmist
reminds us that “The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die.” Beth had a wonderful faith in this Jesus of
the Bible and I’m sure that I will see her again…but I will miss her in this, the rest of my journey on this earth.
And I’m so glad that this God of the Bible knows that and comforts us in these days of our loss.
Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Psalms 116:15 NLT The LORD cares deeply when his loved ones die.
Remember I’m praying for you…
With love, Pastor Joe
Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Psalms 116:15 NLT The LORD cares deeply when his loved ones die.
Remember I’m praying for you…
With love, Pastor Joe