A Funeral for a Friend

I am doing a funeral today. It is the funeral for Debbie Arnold. Debbie was a 50 year old saint. The sicker she got the kinder, gentler, more loving she became. In the Bible as Stephen the martyr was dying they said his face shone with the glory of God. That is the way Debbie died. I don't think anyone could have done it better. Debbie knew Jesus and lived it in a way that was inspiring so I know she is enjoying the wonder and beauty and exquisite love of God as I write these words. After saying all of that though, doing funerals is a little like swallowing glass for me. I don't like death. I don't like the pain it causes, the separation, the tears. I don't like anything about it. I guess my consolation is that it doesn't seem like Jesus liked it either. Right before Jesus was going to raise Lazarus from the dead he broke down and sobbed. Weird. It would seem like he would be laughing because he was going to change everyone's grief into joy and yet he sobbed. I think he sobbed for all the pain that death would ever cause. Maybe he sobbed because he saw the price he would have to pay to redeem all the pain of the world. When Jesus resurrected he broke something in death. Someday we will all experience the healing that Debbie is experiencing now. Until then, I will wipe the tears from my eyes during funerals and remember the day is coming when death will be swallowed up. Frederick Buechner wrote," All the death in the world when placed next to life would scarcely fill a cup". I like that.