The passing of our good friend and Navigator 2:7 friend, Lance, reminds me again that earth is not our final home, but a rest stop onto our new heavely home. Our job is to grow in our faith and make Him known to those around us.

 

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ. Col 2:7

Today, we lost a member of our men's accountability group better known as the Navigator 2:7 discipleship group.  Seven guys who came together in the early '80s had the same goal to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Seven guys who kept in touch through the years despite their busy work and family schedules. Seven guys wanted to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ and make  Him known to those around them. Today, our friend Dave writes, " Lance officially departed his last earthly existence. He has a new, eternal body, free of ailments including a heart that is functioning perfectly."  Lance's brother and sister and fiance were there when his last earthly breath was taken. In those waning moments of his life, I can imagine Lance standing at the threshold of heaven, looking back at crying family members while looking forward toward a grand welcome home celebration awaiting him.

For those earthly friends who knew Lance, the holidays can be an especially grueling time who must now adapt to the absence of his humor and playful spirit.   Inside their home sits the empty chair where he once sat.  At the dinner table, they will miss his unique personality that brought smiles to them.

Lance isn't alone to die in this great pandemic. 

 Since the pandemic began in America, we know that over 100,000 people have committed suicide and another 100,000 and counting have died from opioid overdoses besides the millions lost to this deadly virus- so many empty chairs and so much pain in the families who lost a loved one this way. 

The words to this song speak eloquently of this pain. 

 Sometimes at night, I'd lie awake longing inside for my father's embrace

Sometimes at night, I'd wander downstairs

And pray he'd returned, but no one was there.

Oh, how I'd cry, a child all alone

Waiting for him to come home.

We learn so much in our education- the 3 R's, history, science, and of course the musical endeavors, but when we experience the loss of a loved one we're puzzled over how to process this pain. So, we cry like a child all alone, waiting for our loved ones to come home.

My father's chair sat in an empty room

My father's chair, covered with sheets of gloom

My father's chair through all the years

And all the tears I cried in vain

No one was there in my father's chair.

Sometimes at night, I sit all alone

Drifting asleep in a chair of my own

When sweet sleepy eyes peer down from the hall

Frightened by dreams they cannot recall

I hold them close, calming their fears

Nightmares and flashbacks where we are going back to the exact moment when our loved one died are all too common to those who grieve. When this happens, this becomes the proverbial fork in the road with one path leading to the consumption of alcohol and opioids (anything to deaden the pain) and the other path of turning to God and allowing HIm to walk with you on this painful journey.


One path leads to almost certain death while the other path leads to healing and forgiveness.

My father's chair sits in a loving room

My father's chair, no matter what I do

My father's chair, through all the years

And all the tears I need not fear

Love's always there in my father's chair.

Sometimes at night, I dream of a throne

Of my loving God, calling me home

And as I appear, He rises and smiles

And reaches with love to welcome His child

Never to cry, never to fear

In His arms, safe and secure.

The shortest verse in all of the bible were the words, 'Jesus wept'. Those words illustrate the loving God we have and His willingness to walk by our side on our journey through grief. God wants you to know that not only is your loved one safe in heaven, but He plans of walking with you until you reach the conclusion of your grief.

My Father's chair sits in a royal room

My Father's chair holds glory beyond the tomb

My Father's chair, my God is there

And I am His eternal heir

Someday I'll share my Father's chair.

As we say goodbye to Lance, we must remember that when he died he was given a new heavenly body and a new heart and if we could see him and our loved ones now we would see them celebrating in this new place with family and friends they hadn't seen in a while. As we say goodbye to these loved ones, our task is to grow closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus, and let Him fill us with his fragrance of peace and joy so others will be drawn to us to hear His good news of eternal salvation.