Death and Super Glue

So this past week I went to yet another funeral. This time it was that of a sweet little eight year old who died of Leukemia. Everything was pink-- the casket, the flowers, her fingernails, her lips and the little Teddy Bear wedged into her hands. I hate viewings, but out of respect to the family and their culture, I stood there beside her and asked God to bring comfort to her sobbing parents. Then I spotted the SuperGlue that held her eye lids closed. It was almost more than I could take. It was surreal-- there are SO many things wrong with an eight year old having her eye lids closed with Super Glue; SO many things wrong with her death. My heart ached-- still does.

As I left and headed home I thought about the heart of God and how he grieves beyond anything we know. He created a perfect place, with no death, no pain-- only interaction with him. Oh, what a place! I can't imagine!! But, being humans, we took matters into our own hands and that perfect world was infected, never to be the same. Now people hate, people ignore God, eight year olds die.

God must grieve over what could have been, over what we gave up, over our self- inflicted pain. But at the same time, he knows the end of the story-- that one day everything will be restored to what he intended, that we'll be with him face to face just awestruck. He must be excited to think about the day we all go home and stay forever.

Personally I plan to look for sweet little Rachel and look into her face, wide eyed (NO SUPER GLUE!!) as she takes in God's glory. What a perfect day it will be.

Death

So on Wednesday I attended my first police department funeral. A beautiful 29 year old Phoenix officer was shot by an even younger man trying to steal a car. This officer has a sweet wife, a 2 year old daughter and a 3 week old son. Had his son not arived 3 weeks earlier than expected, this young father would've never even laid eyes on him.

The entire experience was very intense with hundreds and hundreds of officers from all around the state in attendance. Several speakers talked about this young man-- mostly his love for his family and his job. He loved being a police officer and having the opportunity to make a difference. For me, the most impressive thing was all the respect and tradition with which he was laid to rest-- the graveside ceremony. After a miles- long procession, row after row of Officers stood at attention, saluted the casket. There was the folding the flag that draped the casket and presenting it to the officer's young wife, the bagpipes, the gun salute, Taps, and most moving for me, the Last Call over the police radios, part of which was,..."Goodnight, Sir. Thank you for your service. We will miss you. Over and out."

And then we all walked away, back to our lives. Part of me wanted to SCREAM at the wrongness of it all, but of course that would be socially unacceptable. So when I got out of the police car and back to my little Chevy Aveo, I did just that-- I screamed and screamed and screamed at all the pain I've seen and felt just this week . So much wrongness in this world. So much.

One day God will make all the wrong right. Today would be great.