A few months ago, we had a tragedy in our family. My nephew choked on a piece of candy and passed away.He was in the growing time of his life. So much of the road lay before him. Why would the Lord call him home before he had really lived?

Some people feel that if the Lord were a loving God, he would never allow tragedies to happen.

Life is so fragile; we never know when it will be our time to go. We expect to live a hundred years, but it rarely happens. A couple of months ago, my nephew, passed away unexpectedly. He was a vibrant healthy teenager with his entire life stretching before him. One night he went to bed. The next morning he was gone.

We were all devastated. In less than a month, he would have been sixteen. The family pulled together and made beautiful pine box for him, and the High school offered the auditorium for the funeral. Arrangements were made and flowers gathered. People came from miles around to pay their respects to the family, but he was gone. How do you handle something like that?

It is hard not to reach upward and blame God for such a tragedy. God doesn’t cause bad things to happen. It is the way of the earth. All who come into the world must die. If life were eternal in the beginning, the earth would be too small to house all the sons and daughters of God. Mortality must have a beginning and an end. It is a natural consequence of living. Some will live a hundred years and some will only live a few minutes. “To everything there is a season.” God set the clock before we ever come into the world.

What happens when we die? Atheist will tell you that when we die, we die, and that is that, but believers know that is death is only the beginning of life eternal. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” The body is only a shell that houses the eternal spirit. When we die, our spirit goes to a waiting place. Jesus went to paradise after his crucifixion. He waited until his resurrection. Resurrection means that His spirit and His body were reunited to never die again.

Because Jesus was resurrected, we can expect to be able to be resurrected also, but there is a waiting time. Good people, like Jesus, will go to paradise to wait for the resurrection. How long it will be before spirits will be resurrected. No one knows, but we can trust that it will happen.

Sometimes we can feel the presence of those who have gone into paradise. They reach back to us to give us comfort, and to let us know that they are all right. Such was the case with my nephew. His family was inconsolable. Their grief was deep and heartfelt. My heart was breaking for them. I prayed with fervently for the power to comfort them. What could I say? I poured out my heart to God.

When I rose from my knees, the words flooded into my mind with a young man’s plea to let his parents know that he was all right and that he wanted them to know that they had been good parents to him. With permission, I share this answer to my prayers for comfort and peace.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I didn’t expect to go so soon. I expected to have years and years to tell you how I feel about you, but tonight I stand in the starlight end of my journey and walk into the great unknown. I want you let you know you are the best parents a kid could ever have.

You opened up your heart to me and gave me your home and your name. You cradled me in your arms on those long lonely nights when I cried for a family’s love. You changed my diapers and fed me with your tenderness. You celebrated my birthdays, holidays and my successes! My joy was your joy! Times were not always happy times. Sometimes we had the storms, but you gathered me up each time I fell and wiped my tears away. You watched me grow from day to day giving all your heart to me.

You were there to pick up the shattered pieces of my world when it fell apart! You cleaned up the messes I made and enfolded me in your security. In a thousand ways, you told me of your love. I know you feel bad about the times you had to be the parent and give me doses of tough love, but don’t grieve over that. Those were the times I know you loved me best. Lesser parents would have abandoned me. You were there! Sometimes you were angry with me, but I always could see your love shining through. I knew you were right and would never lead me astray. Thank you for being parents like that.

You taught me how to work, and to dream. You taught me that I could do anything if I was willing to work for it. If I seemed to turn away, and not listen to you, it was because I wanted to try it my way, but I always knew that you would gather up the pieces if my way didn’t work. That’s the way you are, and I am so grateful for that.

I know I didn’t tell you often enough how I loved you. I didn’t like to be told what to do, but I knew you loved me. You see, I just needed to see how far I could go before a parent’s love would pull me back into the safety of nest. I knew you would pull me back. I knew you would always be there for me. Now as I stand beyond life, I know it even more, for I can see into your heart and know that every corridor is filled with deep and unselfish love.

I know your hearts are broken, and your dreams for me are shattered, but I will never leave you. I will be there when you see a quiet sunrise over the distant hills. You will hear my laughter in winter’s silver mounds of snow. You will hear me in the music of spring. You will feel me in the flowers that burst in springtime blooms, and see me in the butterflies that float in azure skies. You will feel me in summer’s rainbows that span the darkened sky. Autumn leaves will fall and you will see me as the leaves turn from green to brilliant red and gold. I will be there always.

My journey was short, but I will be there waiting when your days of life are done. Then I will be able to tell you how much I love you. I will gather you up in my arms and you will see into my heart and know that my memories are treasured ones and you are the heroes who guided me into this sweet eternity. Together we will walk into the light of the eternal sunrise where clouds of sorrow can never come.

Goodbye with all my love.

I want to let you know, that I know there is life after death. I know there is a loving God who will enfold us in His tender mercies if we will but seek Him daily, not just in times of sorrow and turmoil. Because Jesus died, we will all be resurrected, and we will know each other as we are known here. God loves us far more than we can possibly love Him. For those who think God is dead, someday, they will stand before Him and know, as I know, that He is very much alive, and He loves us with incomprehensible charity. PD

Zippy Meat Pie

1 lb ground beef

1 egg slightly beaten

1 / 2 cup onions, chopped

1 tomato diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 / 2 cup cheese, grated

2 tsp. oil

1 / 2 tsp. salt

1/2 soup can of water

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 can bean and bacon soup

1 pie crust ( not cooked)

In oil, cook onion and garlic until clear; add meat. Cook until browned; drain fat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Turn into pie shell. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes; then turn down to 250 for 30 minutes or until done.