I have been pondering for some time now how God views death and how we should view death here on Earth. When you hear news like this all else seems so insignificant. Whatever was on the calender before seems like a waste of time. The only thing that feels like it matters is mourning, remembering, and staring off into space lost in your thoughts about your loved one. I began wondering if in the light of death so much of what occupies our time doesn't matter, should it matter in the light of life? What IS significant in this life?
And then I began to think of Bill and other loved ones that have passed away. I began to remember all the things that I loved most about these people - their quirks and smiles, their thoughts and laughter, their heart towards this world and the next. And it hit me...that's what's significant in this life and the next. How we live our life matters. How we treat other people matters. How we love God and serve Him matters. Because those are the things that last, those are the things that are remembered. I don't remember Bill for the stuff that he had or the job that he worked, I remember him only.
In Psalm 116:15 it says, "The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die." I don't know what "cares deeply" means yet, but I know that He cares. He cares about our life and our death. He remembers both our life and our death. Our life and death are significant because God controls them both and uses them both to communicate His love to His people.
So thank you God for caring about Bill's life and death. Thank you for using his life and death to remind us of your love. We look forward to seeing him again.
The things on the calendar can wait--what is most important now is the time you take to mourn and to remember your friend. For it is written in the beatitudes: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." My prayers to you, your husband, and to the family of Bill Reiter.