MOURNING TURNED TO JOY

     My maternal grandfather's funeral was about to begin and under ordinary circumstances it would be a time of great sorrow. But something had happened just before his death that would completely change the outcome of the service.

     My grandfather helped my grandmother raise me in Oklahoma from the time I was five. He had a hearty laugh, a friendly smile and loved all the grandkids unconditionally.

     But, along with his good points, he had some major character flaws. He had been an alcoholic most of my life and he would frequently go on a "binge", disappearing for days at a time.  

     He showed a kind of respect for preachers, but never wanted to talk about the things of God. One of his sisters, who was a devout Christian, often tried to get him to go to church but he would have no part of it.

     And one day, after 22 years of marriage, he decided to leave my grandmother for a younger woman in Texas.

     The years passed and he developed an advanced stage of cancer. Since he was a World War II veteran, he decided to come back home and check himself into the VA Hospital in Oklahoma City for treatment.  

      I had given my heart to The Lord several years earlier and, after hearing about my grandfather's deteriorating health, I determined to pay him a visit to check on the condition of his soul.

      As I stood by his bedside, I asked him the question that everyone should contemplate when they're about to leave this world.

    "Are you prepared to go?" I asked him. "I know I'm going to Heaven and I want you to be there with me. Have you asked Jesus to come into your heart?"

   "Yes I did, Jim boy," he assured me. "I'm ready to go."

     I must admit he looked more peaceful than I had ever seen him and his response was spoken with the utmost sincerity.

     I left his room that day convinced that he had finally, somewhere, somehow, accepted Christ into his life.

     Unless a miracle occurred, I knew it was only a matter of time before my grandfather would die, but I prayed to God that he would go in peace when he did.

     The day finally came when we got the news.

     He was gone.

   When I talked to the attending physician he related to me quite a remarkable story.

     "Your grandfather would often go to the dayroom to smoke and watch TV. That's where we found him," the doctor said.

     "But what was strange was the way he looked. Instead of finding him lying on the floor," he explained. "We found him sitting up in the chair in a normal position."

   "His head was down and his chin was resting on his chest. And he had the most peaceful expression on his face. It looked as if he just went off to sleep."

     I knew my heartfelt prayers had been answered and God, in His mercy, had given my grandfather a peaceful departure.

     It was 2:00 and the funeral was about to start. A large number of family and friends had gathered to pay their respects and say their final farewells.

     Most funerals are very sad and somber occasions, but something felt very different about this one.

     Instead of the usual grief and mourning, a sense of joy and celebration filled the air. The songs played were upbeat traditional Christian hymns and a content smile could be seen on several faces.

     The uniqueness of the atmosphere was unmistakable and even one of my brother-in-laws, who was not a dedicated Christian by any stretch of the imagination, made this comment following the service.

     "I've never been to a funeral like that before. What was that I felt in there?" he asked.

     "That was the Spirit of God," I explained. 

                                                

     "It didn't seem like a funeral. It was more like a party!" he exclaimed.

   He was right. All of us who knew my grandfather well, realized a miracle had occurred when he got saved. He made his decision just in time and we were joyful now because we knew that Heaven, in all its splendor, awaited him on the other side.

     Sometimes it may be hard to say goodbye but, as Christians, the Bible tells us that we can have comfort when a saved loved one departs because we know the separation is only temporary.

 1st Thessalonians 4:

13) Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14) For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15) According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17) After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.      18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.

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