cktimes.ca Archives for The Pastoral Lens
The Pastoral Lens
Time for a Reality Check
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
I was spending some time on the internet last week, just surfing around at some sports sites and stuff. When I got off there was a message waiting for me on my voice mail. A family had contacted me to speak at a funeral for a young man killed in an automobile accident the night before. This was a tragic accident, snuffing out the life of a man who was loved by his peers and enjoying his life. The family was left devastated, to say the least. Words seem so inadequate in situations like this. Nevertheless, I was determined to seek the Lord for just the right thing to say to this man's family and his many, many friends.I learn so much when I go to the visitation time. I see people reminiscing and laughing over times spent at family functions like Christmases, vacations, ball games, birthday parties, etc. At this particular funeral I was astounded to see the vast assortment of photographs and even newspaper clippings. Each one told a story and each one was a reminder that things would never be the same. I spent time talking with family and friends who rehearsed the events of this man's last hours of life, vainly trying to hold on to what had slipped away. Everyone had a story to tell and everyone had pain to share.
At the funeral service, every possible seat in the church was taken with many standing and others watching by video in an overflow room. A friend of the family was asked to come up and speak about his relationship with the young man. He shared a few laughs at the beginning of his talk but then went quickly into the heart of his speech. He shared how he had taken for granted his relationship with him and always felt there was time to do stuff that the present busy time could not afford. Of course, there would be no future time to catch up. All opportunity to spend more time with the young man was lost. He made a reference to the Bible's warning of not being guaranteed of having tomorrow. James 4: 13, 14 says: "Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." This man who spoke then went on to encourage us to make that phone call, go for that visit, spend that time that has been put off. It was a good lesson to learn again.
How about you? What relationships have you let go because of busyness or unforgiveness or indifference? You are skating on thin ice. Relationships are meant to be enjoyed and lived out. Do you have a phone call to make today or a visit to prepare for? You may not have tomorrow, so get to it!
