Reflections at Time of Passing

My friend served as a licensed Family Counselor at a beautiful Memorial Park Cemetery.

One day, the Park Manager escorted the parents of a daughter, who died in a plane crash, 3 days before her Wedding, into my friend’s office. The mother was sobbing. The father could barely speak. With no time to prepare anything, my friend asked, “Are you Christians?”, the father nodded, yes. My friend began to recite Scriptural verses familiar to Christians. He added a poem that he just placed on his desk. He began to say the following:

“We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the Image and Likeness of God.”

“We don’t have a soul. We are a soul. We have a body.” – C. S. Lewis
The Christian soul experiences peace & joy that the secular mind can’t imagine. We are spiritual beings, expressed through humanity – a sort of temporal parentheses, midst eternity. Our humanity is a mere transport for our soul. That is the irrefutable, immutable, absolute Truth.

Truth that our spirit is like a ship, sailing from view over the horizon, only to see the welcoming embrace of the outstretched arms, of the Redemptive Cross, on the other shore, along with family and friends of previous passing, enjoying the companionship of God.

Shakespeare asks, “What dreams may come, when we shed this mortal coil?” The Incarnation answers,

“And God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son, so that all who believe in Him, Shall not perish, but have eternal life” – an eternity of Peace, Comfort, and Joy. For “God makes all things new. No more death, nor pain, nor tears.”

 There is no value to question why God takes anyone, at any time.
“How inscrutable His judgments. How unsearchable His ways.”
We can take great solace in Psalm 116: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

 Believing the above truth allows comfort to replace grief, when it’s time to say, “Auf Wiedersehen” –
“Until we meet again”.

Combined, The Above YouTube Music Video & Lyrics, along with the Poem Below, Express the Essence of the Blog Post

In the quiet stillness of the night you may hear your daughter pray:

“When I come to the end of the day, and the sun has set for me, I want no rites in a gloom filled room, why cry for a soul set free? Miss me a little, but not too long, and not with your head bowed low, Remember the loved we once shared. Miss me, but let me go.

For this is a journey we all must take, and each must go alone. It’s all part of the Maker’s plan – a step on the road to home. When you are lonely and sick of heart, go to the friends we know. And bury your sorrows at doing good deeds. Miss me, but let me go.” –
Edgar Albert Guest

With compassion and sympathy, I pray,
“May God hold your daughter’s soul, and your hearts, in the Palm of His hand.” Amen.

The father asked if my friend would mail them a letter expressing what he had just said. My friend replied, “I’ll try.”, and then they selected an appropriate memorial. After the funeral, my friend received a phone call from the father. The father said, “Thank you for your letter: “Reflections at Time of Passing”. My wife keeps it on her nightstand, and I keep a copy taped to the dashboard of my car. It helps immensely.”

The Lyrics of this YouTube Music Video Expresses the Essence of this Blog Post

My friend sent this letter to his family & friends who suffered the loss of a loved one. He received heartfelt “Thanks” for each one sent.

If you share this blog post with someone who lost a spouse, the music video below is appropriate: