The minister at Stephanie's funeral spoke directly to Chase and Clare, 9 years old, as they sat on the front row. Their mommy's flower-draped casket rested in front of them and their Dad was centered between them with his arms stretched out around each one, pulling them close.
"Chase & Clare, Have you ever been to DisneyLand?" the minister asked. They both shook their heads with an emphatic yes.
"Well, I just returned from DisneyLand. And I was waiting in a long, long line for a ride. I waited and waited, and the line went on forever around and around the barriers that were put up to direct us. And we waited slowly. And it moved so slowly."
"Next to us was an empty lane, and every now and then, a person would come sailing down that lane with a big smile on his face. They were moving quickly up to the front of the line! And it kept happening. As we waiting slowly on our side, every now and then a person or group of people would come running down that lane heading to the front of the line! And you know what? They ALL had smiles on their faces. They were all happy and excited about where they were going!"
"I asked someone how this could be, how these people got to go to the front of the line. And I learned that it was a 'FastPass' that granted them permission to skip to the front."
The minister was still speaking directly to Chase and Clare, but the truth was not lost on the rest of us. Slowly it dawned on me where he was going with this illustration.
"Chase and Clare," he said, "Jesus gave your mommy a 'FastPass' to Heaven. And she went to the front of the line with a big smile on her face. And we are all still in line because we still have some living to do."
Wow, what a beautiful analogy for us to consider. The funeral was a celebration of Stephanie's life and dedication to giving God the glory for ALL THINGS, even her cancer. She allowed God to use her illness in a powerful way, touching lives with her unwavering faith and joy.
Because of Stephanie's example, I want to love a little bit more, hug a little bit more, forgive a little bit more, laugh a little bit more, believe a little bit more.
Our prayers go out to David, Chase and Clare as they face the days ahead.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Fast-Pass
The minister at Stephanie's funeral spoke directly to Chase and Clare, 9 years old, as they sat on the front row. Their mommy's flower-draped casket rested in front of them and their Dad was centered between them with his arms stretched out around each one, pulling them close.
"Chase & Clare, Have you ever been to DisneyLand?" the minister asked. They both shook their heads with an emphatic yes.
"Well, I just returned from DisneyLand. And I was waiting in a long, long line for a ride. I waited and waited, and the line went on forever around and around the barriers that were put up to direct us. And we waited slowly. And it moved so slowly."
"Next to us was an empty lane, and every now and then, a person would come sailing down that lane with a big smile on his face. They were moving quickly up to the front of the line! And it kept happening. As we waiting slowly on our side, every now and then a person or group of people would come running down that lane heading to the front of the line! And you know what? They ALL had smiles on their faces. They were all happy and excited about where they were going!"
"I asked someone how this could be, how these people got to go to the front of the line. And I learned that it was a 'FastPass' that granted them permission to skip to the front."
The minister was still speaking directly to Chase and Clare, but the truth was not lost on the rest of us. Slowly it dawned on me where he was going with this illustration.
"Chase and Clare," he said, "Jesus gave your mommy a 'FastPass' to Heaven. And she went to the front of the line with a big smile on her face. And we are all still in line because we still have some living to do."
Wow, what a beautiful analogy for us to consider. The funeral was a celebration of Stephanie's life and dedication to giving God the glory for ALL THINGS, even her cancer. She allowed God to use her illness in a powerful way, touching lives with her unwavering faith and joy.
Because of Stephanie's example, I want to love a little bit more, hug a little bit more, forgive a little bit more, laugh a little bit more, believe a little bit more.
Our prayers go out to David, Chase and Clare as they face the days ahead.
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