A death is like a comma for those left behind

Any time someone dies, we stop to reflect upon the meaning of life and in particular what the departed meant to us.

We had a memorial service at the church today. Phil Postler's sister, Doris Emigh, passed away rather suddenly on New Year's Day. She lived in New Hampshire and didn't really have a church connection so Phil asked me to do the service.

It was a nice service. Patricia sang "Amazing Grace" and "Ave Maria" and I shared some stories that family members had given me. I also tried to point people to Christ and let them know that God loves them and has a plan for our lives.

I don't put a heavy evangelical spin on funeral services. A long time ago I decided that I was going to remember the person, share the important scriptures and let God work in people's hearts. A sudden death gets everyone thinking about life and death. I just want to plant a few seeds that God can use to till the soil. I have had people come to church after a funeral because God stirred their hearts.

The truth is that we are all going to die. We don't like to think about it but when we do, it forces us to think about how we live and what we believe. Phil told me he thought a few people may actually be ready for God to lead them back to church. That's always nice. I like to say that God wrote the book on turning tragedies around to make them into triumphs. If one person's death can be a jumping off point for faith, then God is glorified and that person's memory is honored even more.

Cal