Gone Home

Yesterday I attended a homegoing service. That's what believers in Christ call a funeral, because we believe that when one who has accepted Christ dies, they go "home" to be with the Lord.

So as I said...I went to a "homegoing" service.

Kinda interesting.

The service was for a woman who I went to high school with. Haven't seen her since high school and I really don't think that I even hung out with her when we were in high school. Yet, something in my spirit told me to go anyway. After all, was her life worth any less just because I didn't know her personally? The answer...of course not.

So here's how the day went...

First...I wasn't going to go at all.
Then...10:00 rolls around and I'm ready to go so I look up the directions to the church only to find that the service STARTS at 10:00. Great...I'm still in my living room and no where near where the church is. So I wasn't gonna go.

Few minutes later, I decide to go...I'll just be late. It's a homegoing service afterall...it wasn't ending any time soon.

So I hop on the freeway and head to the church. I get there and the lot and surrounding streets are PACKED. No where to park!

I circle the block once...nothing.
Twice...nothing.
Three times, and now I'm about to head home.

And there it is...that voice that said, "Go across the main boulevard, you'll find a place to part there".

So I did, and sure enough...there was a spot.

Then I get inside the church and...you guessed it...Nowhere to sit!

I find a spot against the back wall and wonder if I should just leave. Just then, an usher came over and directed me to the "overflow" area. Nope...I wasn't going anywhere. I was IN now.

And I'm so glad that I was.

The Pastor of the church delivered a great message.
Her friends and family gave lovely remarks.
And as I was listening to everyone describe her, it was as if I were at my OWN homegoing service. Her life so closely mirrored mine.

She loved the Lord.
She was a servant through and through, doing all that she could to meet the needs of others.
She loved God's Word...studying it, hearing it, teaching it.

Listening to what a great woman of God she was, I couldn't help but think that if she and I had stayed in touch after high school we probably would have been GREAT friends.

I may not have known her much in life, but in celebrating her life, I'm glad that I got a chance to know what I know.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you ever gone to a homegoing service (funeral) for someone that you really didn't know very well...or at all?

Talk to me!

Til next time...