About 30 minutes into the beginning of my Sabbath, I got a call that
one of my uncles had been found trapped under his tractor with no
heartbeat. Once they got him out they were able to get his heart
going again. They flew him to a trauma facility with broken ribs and
swelling in his brain. I went to bed that night with prayers and
tears. When I woke up in the morning I found out that he had left
this earth in the middle of the night. Most of my Sabbath was spent praying for my family, talking with them
about funeral plans and just grieving. I thought of my Aunt's pain.
She had no idea Friday would be her last day with her husband. I hurt
for her. My husband asked me Friday night, before going to bed, how I would
feel if my uncle didn't survive. I thought about my uncle for awhile.
I have to admit that he was my least favorite uncle when I was
growing up. I thought that he didn't really like people. He was
usually grumpy and avoided being around the family. I developed a
habit of staying clear of him at family gatherings. I never tried to
reach out to him in love. As the years went by, I noticed that he mellowed a little. And then a
couple of years ago there was a big change. My mom asked me one day
to be praying for my uncle because he was asking questions about
salvation and was open to talking with his pastor. I later learned
that he gave his life to Christ. After that, my family started seeing
a brand new man. I'm not saying he was perfect, but he definitely had
positive changes. My sister told me how he took the time to get to know her sons and how
he sent them a gift just because he was thinking about them. It
seemed so out of character for my uncle. Then at our Fourth of July
family reunion I got to see my uncle for myself. I was amazed that he
sat down with my family and talked with us with true intentions of
knowing us better. It was strange how easy it was to talk to him and
how sweet he was to my girls. It felt like I was meeting him for the
first time and hoped we would have more opportunities with him.
Sadly, that will not happen. I truly do miss my uncle and wish I had more time to know him. But my
heart rejoices that he knew Jesus as his Savior! I can't be sad that
he is going to spend eternity in God's presence! What a story his
life represents of how God can take away all anger, bitterness, and
hurt and replace it with love, joy, and peace! I was thankful for the sense of stillness and calm that the Sabbath
provided during this time of loss. I would encourage you today to
tell your family and friends how much you love them. The old cliche
is true: We never know if today will be our last day, so live it well! Until next week,
Lisa G.
one of my uncles had been found trapped under his tractor with no
heartbeat. Once they got him out they were able to get his heart
going again. They flew him to a trauma facility with broken ribs and
swelling in his brain. I went to bed that night with prayers and
tears. When I woke up in the morning I found out that he had left
this earth in the middle of the night. Most of my Sabbath was spent praying for my family, talking with them
about funeral plans and just grieving. I thought of my Aunt's pain.
She had no idea Friday would be her last day with her husband. I hurt
for her. My husband asked me Friday night, before going to bed, how I would
feel if my uncle didn't survive. I thought about my uncle for awhile.
I have to admit that he was my least favorite uncle when I was
growing up. I thought that he didn't really like people. He was
usually grumpy and avoided being around the family. I developed a
habit of staying clear of him at family gatherings. I never tried to
reach out to him in love. As the years went by, I noticed that he mellowed a little. And then a
couple of years ago there was a big change. My mom asked me one day
to be praying for my uncle because he was asking questions about
salvation and was open to talking with his pastor. I later learned
that he gave his life to Christ. After that, my family started seeing
a brand new man. I'm not saying he was perfect, but he definitely had
positive changes. My sister told me how he took the time to get to know her sons and how
he sent them a gift just because he was thinking about them. It
seemed so out of character for my uncle. Then at our Fourth of July
family reunion I got to see my uncle for myself. I was amazed that he
sat down with my family and talked with us with true intentions of
knowing us better. It was strange how easy it was to talk to him and
how sweet he was to my girls. It felt like I was meeting him for the
first time and hoped we would have more opportunities with him.
Sadly, that will not happen. I truly do miss my uncle and wish I had more time to know him. But my
heart rejoices that he knew Jesus as his Savior! I can't be sad that
he is going to spend eternity in God's presence! What a story his
life represents of how God can take away all anger, bitterness, and
hurt and replace it with love, joy, and peace! I was thankful for the sense of stillness and calm that the Sabbath
provided during this time of loss. I would encourage you today to
tell your family and friends how much you love them. The old cliche
is true: We never know if today will be our last day, so live it well! Until next week,
Lisa G.
