on death and dying...

 

 Kyle and our beloved pet, Marshmallow

On Tuesday we put our precious pet, Marshmallow, down.  Marshy has been a part of our family for almost 15 years.  When Katie was nine years old, she convinced us that we needed this little white ball of fluff to complete our family!  Marshmallow, a Bichon Frise, was aptly named.  She was white, soft, cuddly, and extremely loyal.  Life and age took a toll on her, though, and the time came to make a very hard decision.  We will all miss her so much.  Kyle tells me over and over how much he misses her.  My heart aches for him as he struggles to make sense of this loss.

As painful as this is for our family, it seems almost insignificant in light of two other deaths in as many weeks.  A former classmate of my daughter died suddenly…taken by his own hand.  It’s almost too much to wrap my mind around.  What pain was in his heart and life that he simply couldn’t bear anymore?  I’m so thankful Abba can see our hearts.  We can only see the outer shell, the actions…and we just don’t understand.  Our Father, with His deep love and compassion, understands all.  He knows what silent pain lurks in the hearts of his broken children.  What hope we have in knowing that the sacrifice of His Son is sufficient for all who believe in Him.  He hears each one who calls out to Him in love…or in despair.  And He promises that nothing will snatch a child of His out of His palm.  In the swirling confusion of such a death, family and friends cling to this precious hand of hope.

The second death was that of my uncle.  Uncle John lived a long, full life -- 84 years on this earth.  A tiny speck of time compared to the eternity he’s now entered.  I was honored to be asked to play piano at his funeral, and I asked the Lord to let love flow through my fingers.  It was a gentle service, honoring a man who had lived many years.  I enjoyed hearing stories of my uncle from my cousin who spoke during the service.  Though the family was not shocked by his death, there was sadness and tears.  A much-loved husband, dad, grandpa, and friend had died.

Death.  “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”  (I Cor. 15:26)  No wonder we instinctively hate death.  It is Christ’s ultimate enemy and therefore our enemy, as well.  Whether the death of a young person in the prime of his life, an elderly man in his winter years, or the death of a much-loved pet, we cry and grieve over what was and now is no more.  

We were created for LIFE and we know it!  God has such a way of turning things right side up.  He takes that which seeks to destroy us and makes it the very thing which ushers us into LIFE!  It’s only in dying that we will truly live.  Our hope lies in this mystery.  When a child of God passes from this life to the next, he never really dies!  Those who die in the Lord are more alive than ever!