"Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” -- Words of Jesus as recorded in Luke 6:38 THE MESSAGE
Three months prior to my Dad's passing, I penned these vulnerable and victorious words titled "Heaven":
My Dad and I have done lots of talking on the phone over the years. Especially, since I became a pastor and moved away from our little, coastal, island home, I’ve been thankful for a way of staying in regular touch with my Dad’s voice. On Tuesday, August 19, 2014, in the late afternoon, I was looking towards the end of the second day of my sabbatical season when Dad and I had the blessing of catching up with one another on the phone. Dad had just come through a seven-month season of trusting God with cancer and chemotherapy. All of the most recent, post-cancer reports were the best we could expect -- “all clear”. Yet, in the past few days, seemingly out of nowhere another “something” showed up to challenge Dad’s health. His left elbow and arm were really causing him pain and making his after-chemo days even more full of fatigue than they already were.
As I listened to my Dad share, his tenderness was inspirational to my eternal soul, as always. After about a half-hour of conversation, the topic turned to Heaven. We discussed how we would all be together someday soon, in the nonstop, realized presence of Jesus and enjoying a reunion with our loved ones who have gone on ahead of us. Finally, Dad said he had made his mother, my Granny Margery, a promise on her death-bed. His promise was that he would see her one day again in our Forever Home. Then these words just came out of my mouth as my tears began to flow: “Daddy, if you get to Heaven before I do, please promise me you will come with Jesus to meet me when I make my arrival.”
Prayer: “So be it.”
Grateful
