A Death in the Family

Hello, friends! 

Greetings from Cleveland, Ohio!  Why am I in Cleveland?  Actually, I am here for a funeral.  After 82 years, my great aunt Della died on July 23.  I was able to fly out to Cleveland as a representative for my siblings to be with the family. 

Death is a part of life.  I've been to funerals before.  When I was 12 my grandfather died.  Most recently, in 2007, my great uncle died.  I have been with friends as they have walked through the death of friends and family members.  Death is nothing new to me. 

The one thing that was new to me was going to a non-Christian funeral while working as a campus staff member for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA.  The questions as I prepared to fly out here were plentiful.  Which rituals would I participate in with my family?  What should I do with the opportunities to talk about faith with my family?  How much does it matter that I am campus staff for a living?

As I thought and prayed about it more and more, what I really felt God telling me was to remember to love people above all else.  There were going to be opportunities to talk to all members of my family and what I did with those opportunities, whether or not we talked about Jesus or not, would be secondary to whether or not I was speaking out of love. 

Yesterday was the wake and today was the funeral.  I would like to think that I did ok.  Except for the incense messing with my asthma and headaches, I was able to participate in the wake and the funeral.  I had a great conversation with one of the guys who Aunt Della mentored about Jesus and the afterlife.  I was even asked to pray at the burial along w' my dad (Papa John ended up doing the prayer). 

I can't say that I did everything right but I feel good about it.  I was looking for opportunities to love my family I and I hope that I did ok.  My hope is that God was glorified through my actions and words.  Pretty much, it's up to Jesus at this point. 

Please be praying for my family.  Many of my family knows Jesus but many in my family doesn't.  Please pray that God will move in my family.  Please pray for more opportunities to share who Jesus is.  Please pray for peace for me as I return home. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam