Yesterday we gathered to honor Uncle Bill. The service was short and the music was country – Johnny Cash, June Carter, and Hank Williams, Jr. It was an appropriate service for a man born in the depression, who served in the Navy, worked hard all his life, and lived in a small town without a stop light.
I jumped when the guns went off in salute. I always do. They are louder than I expect. As the last notes of “Taps” died away, a shadow went over the sun – the total eclipse had begun.
The eerie semi-darkness lasted through the funeral dinner. It was as if God was sharing our sorrow.
He was. He does.
Jeremiah 31:35, “Then says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea so that the waves roar, the Lord of Hosts is His name.” Modern English Version
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“Ordinance…(2) an authoritative order, a decree.”
Bill saw many sunrises and sunsets. He endured many storms in the Navy. He finished his work.
Jeremiah 31:16, “Thus says the Lord: Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded,…” Modern English Version
Just like the ending of the eclipse, we will not walk in the shadow of grief forever. Time makes the loss easier to bear and we will find laughter in our memories. As Uncle Bill would say,
“You’re right about that, kid.”
Jeremiah 31:13, “…for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.” Modern English Version
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