We’ve been to two funerals in ten days. Both tragic loses have impacted our lives in countless ways that will cause us to always remember those we’ve loved and lost.
As we were on our way home from Nashville the Saturday before Easter Sunday we recieved a phone call telling us that one of our family friends had died in a four wheeler accident. All three of his children had come home for Easter and they we doing some work on the family farm. This tragic accident truly changed the meaning of resurrection Sunday for everyone. Because of Christ’s atoning work on the cross we have the comfort of knowing that we’ll see Randy again, but it was a tough week to say the least.
While we were still reeling from this unexpected loss, we were told that one of our dear friends who has been battling terminal cancer had taken a turn for the worst. Three years earlier, while completing his residency to become a pediatrician, Simeon was diagnosed with leukemia. He had come back home a little more than a year ago with the knowledge that he had weeks to live. God granted he and his wife Jenny and their little son Austin another precious year together. Now however, his cancer was once again catching up with him and he knew that his time was running out. With his time on earth drawing to a close, Simeon never missed an opportunity to share his faith with others. He shared Christ with everyone; his nurses, doctors and fellow patients, all those he came in contact with. His soul was filled with life even as his body was consumed with death. He had an inspiring impact on all who knew him. That’s what happens when you live knowing that you’re dying, you take and make the most of every moment. What if we all lived that way? After all, none of us know the exact time when God will call us home. I hope that people can see Jesus shining through me in the everyday moments, just like Simeon did.