Death

Death….oh what a subject. Our family recently had a death in the “extended” family and I found it very strange and awkward. We have not seen “these people” in 9 years. What do you say? Glad to see you got the names in the obituary correct. Inside joke! I’m sure she is in a better place. The problem, I’m not sure where she is. Is she in a better place? I don’t know. I don’t know what she believed or even if she did believe.

So there we are wondering what do we do now. The service begins and there is a “pastor” reading the short version of a eulogy and asks us to bow our heads to pray. He begins his prayer and then he stumbles over a few words, which he goes back and corrects, when it dawns on me he is reading his prayer. Then a woman in a wheelchair is rolled up front and center and she starts reading a prepared statement about being in the family for the last 41 years. She then reads Psalms 23 (The Lord is my shepherd…) and reads the Lords Prayer, which she didn’t even finish. She got to “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and then Amen”. She actually said, "and then Amen". She then begins to sing a bluegrassy gospel song and is joined by another woman who appeared out of nowhere. She received several amen’s and was rolled away. The whole time we have two ladies behind us critiquing everything being said and done. (kind of like what I am doing now) After a few more songs from somewhere behind us another preacher approaches the podium. This one has decided that since he has an audience he will let us know where he preaches and what the address is. He really did seem to be a Godly man and has a real passion for reaching the lost. That was his sermon, not eulogy, but sermon. He did warn us from the beginning, he said, “I don’t preach for the dead, I preach for the ones left behind”. I really think that he didn’t know her and was hoping to reach a few who didn’t know Jesus. I am all for that, but it all was so strange.

We decided not to go to the graveside service. I was quick to blame my sister and brother for our unwillingness to go watch this lady be buried beside my father. Yes some would say she was our step-mother, but that would really be stretching it. Again I say, it was all so strange.

I do hope I haven’t offended anybody or came across as judging others; I just tried to recap the events which took place. I want everyone who reads this to know, don’t throw together a funeral for me. If need be keep me on ice until you have all the mourners paid for and all the preachers and singers have had enough time to practice. The preacher is right, funerals are not for the dead, but for the living. So live it up at mine, I will be in a better place, this I can assure you of.