theexpandingshrink

Ruth and I are participating in the Celebration of the Life of Rosé Charles at Millersville Mennonite Church. Rose died at age 42 on September 5, after dealing with cancer for 11 years.

Rose planned her funeral almost a year ago. She asked me to read Psalm 84 in the service.

Rose had wanted marriage and a family of her own but she did not become offended when this was not her lot in life. ( She is a living example of the ‘Forgotten Beatitude’ which is Jesus message to John the Baptist: “Blessed is he is not offended in me.”)

No, Rose did not become offended, rather she sought the “Lover of her Soul” and began to plan her ‘funeral service’ as a ‘Wedding Celebration’ (In fact she was buried in a wedding dress)

Ruth and I visited Rose in her home on a Sunday afternoon in mid July as we sensed that the time of transition to the next life was nearing. As we shared together that afternoon I had the thought, “How can Rose be dying when she is still so full of life and is so ‘life-giving’?

In this afternoon she told how that the day before she had gone para-sailing with a friend. ( She carried her oxygen supply with her in that she was having difficulty breathing. )

I asked her where she had gone in her para-sailing. She responded that she was 400 feet above where the river meets the bay (the Susquehanna meets the Chesapeake).

As she said this I sensed that this was a metaphor for ‘the river of her life meeting the great Bay of God’s eternal love and embrace.’

I asked her, “What was it like ‘where the river meets the bay’?”

She responded, “It was peaceful and tranquil. ”

I felt led to say at that point,” I believe God is saying that your transition from this life to the next will be peaceful and tranquil.”

And the passing was gentle as she passed from this life to the next surrounded by her family.

Rose was a beautiful example of one who allowed the dissappointments of life to make her more joyful and vibrant. She blessed and enriched the lives of multitudes. She taught us how to both live and die

I praise God for being able to participate in Rose’s wedding.

Monday night was quite a night. Marie Monville spoke at the Naaman Center Spring Banquet at Hershey Farm Restaurant at Strasburg, PA. In 2006, Marie’s then husband committed the horrific crime known around the world as the Nickel Mines Amish School House Tragedy. Marie, who wanted to be simply a good wife and mother was suddenly propelled into world view. She said that in high school she probably would have been voted, “Most likely to be forgotten.”

Marie’s presentation focused on how God walked with her through the darkest and most painful days imaginable. She did not focus on the evil which Satan had inspired but rather on the glorious faithfulness of a heavenly Father who tenderly responded to her anguished cries and entreaties.

I was left with the thought, “How would you know how deep God’s love is unless you went through something deeply painful and found that God’s love was deeper still. And how would you know that God was God of the valleys unless you went through the valley of suffering and found that He truly was with you.” I had wanted to know that “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.” But He responds, ” Yes, the Bible tells you of My love, but I want to write my love on the pages of your heart as you go through life’s varied and often painful experiences.

At the end of the evening I was asked to have the closing prayer. Instead I asked Marie to pray over the audience for all those whose hearts were crying out, “Lord, if you could meet Marie in her darkest hour and turn it into light, would you meet me now in my hour of difficulty and transform my mess into a glorious testimony of what God can do and not another account of the devils’ destruction.”

I am praying for a Stage V faith for Stage IV problems.

Two days ago I received a request from a friend from another state as to whether I could go to a nearby town to pray for a retired pastor who was suffering from stage IV cancer. This pastor wanted ‘healing prayer’. I responded that I would go this afternoon to pray for this pastor.

I awoke this morning with the impression that I needed a ‘Stage V’ faith to deal with ‘Stage IV’ problems.

However when I had completed my 8 hours of working in the prison I found that I only had a Stage III faith, not enough to deal with a Stage IV cancer. Therefore, I decided to postpone my visit to the pastor and to strengthen myself in the Lord and to visit the pastor tomorrow.

Shortly after making my decision to delay the visit, I found that I had an email informing me that the pastor ‘had gone to be with The Lord.’

As I now reflect on my day, I realize that many of the problems I dealt with throughout the day were Stage IV in their severity. They had the capacity to destroy life. And without the miracle of God’s intervention, devastation would reign. I praise God that He did give me the faith ( I think it was Stage V level) to deal with one problem after another and to see His hand at work. However, enough problems still remain unresolved that I know tomorrow must also be bathed in prayer lest the problems become fatal. But thanks be to God that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.