Mid-Week Musings
June 19, 2024
Suggested Reading: Proverbs 18:24
Dear NBRC Family & Friends,
We often tend to think of death in terms of loss and separation, but death can have a way of uniting and bringing together. I was recently reminded of that after the death of a friend’s dad.
“Tom” and I hadn’t seen each other for probably nearly 40 years. We shared a lot of laughs back in the days when he was a student in high school and I still had hair. He and I used to work together. We remained in contact with each other while he was in college, but over time our contact became less and less.
I recently read the obituary announcing his dad’s death and I was determined to attend the time of visitation with family members, primarily to reconnect with “Tom.” I wondered if I’d recognize him and, sure enough, I did! As I approached him, he kindly introduced himself to me. In return, I started mentioning some names from our shared past. The more names I mentioned, the more his face wore a mixed look of confusion and surprise. I finally said enough to have jogged his memory. The confused look left his face but the look of surprise remained as he exclaimed, “Ron!”
We spent the next few minutes catching up as best we could in only a few minutes. After getting married, he and his wife spent seven years in Kenya as missionaries. He’s now teaching at a college in Iowa. He and his wife are now not only parents, but grandparents.
Over the last 40 or so years, life went on for each us. We went our separate ways. We lost contact with each other, even though at one time we probably said we never would. There are ways in which death has separated “Tom” and his dad, but death also reunited “Tom” and me. Because of death, we became reacquainted and our friendship rekindled.
Is there a friend in your life with whom you’ve lost contact? If there is, maybe it’s time to consider at least trying to reconnect the person. I know I’m glad I did, and I think “Tom” is, too.
Pastor Ron
Prayer suggestion: As you pray, thank God for friends, old and new.
(On Sunday morning, June 23, 2024, the sermon title will be How Not to Accept the Grace of God. The Scripture lesson will be from 2 Corinthians 6:1-13.)