The Hope of the Resurrection

Never has the reality of the resurrection been more promising to me than it is today. I was privileged to spend Easter Sunday afternoon with part of my family at my sister, Pam's, house.

The day was filled with gut-wrenching moments, including our first look at Jeffrey upon his arrival. Though it had only been a week since I had last seen him, the deterioration was remarkable and none of us could hold back the tears. The pictures don't accurately portray the weakness and decay that is so evident face-to-face.

Mom & Dad, Sister Pam, Brothers Richard & Jeffrey & Me

Bless his heart - he awakened already tired, but forced himself through a routine which most of us take for granted, but which has become a rigorous exercise for him...he showered, shaved, dressed, walked to the car and then into Pam's house, where he sank into a chair to recover from the exertion.

Being the thoughtful guy he is, he made more than one attempt to eat the food that was served to him, but the appetite (another of those functions we all take for granted) just wasn't there. After dinner, I sat on the sofa with him for quite some time and couldn't help but notice his short, shallow breathing and his occasional painful winces. But he endured our conversation, our laughter, our singing, and our questions with his typical grace...even stopping to wonder aloud if his wife was OK. Dawnn was tearful in front of us for the first time yesterday and spent a good deal of the afternoon talking and crying with Mom...in the midst of all that Jeffrey is feeling, physically and emotionally, he was concerned about her.

He is the walking embodiment of the word perseverance. The man never complains and he continues to defy expectations. The doctor said that if any of us were taking the amount of medication he is, we'd be in a coma! Yet here he is, still walking in and out of our houses and accomodating our desire to just be with him for hours upon end.

When Jeffrey left to go see Dawnn's family, we pretty much had a collective emotional collapse. As we watch death overtake his body - and I'm not trying to "sound" dramatic...it IS dramatic - each of us is forced to contemplate all sorts of truths, both profound and simple, about life in general, life as it plays out day by day, and the truths we confess.

The confession of Christ's resurrection keeps us from grieving without hope. We know that he will, in the end, set everything right. All things will be fully restored! Those who have fallen asleep in Christ will experience the reuniting of their bodies & souls into a glorified humanity, fully united to Christ, and free from the constraints of the curse.

Thanks be to God.