Reunion in the clouds

 I buried a man in a field tonight. 

He was a precious man of God whose family opted to do a home funeral.  When I heard earlier today that he had died my first thought was: well shoot, that wasn’t what I meant when I asked You to end his suffering. You see I wanted the big miracle. The miraculous healing and restoring. Maybe sometimes this is the best way for that to happen though. 

I would say most of the forty some people there had also not actually buried someone before. The hosts sure had as they had everything ready, and they had given our family the task of escorting two of the elderly women in the community. 

The women stayed in the van when we got to the graveside and I asked if they wanted me to get them a flower to pray over. So when the girl came by to pass out flowers, and I sheepishly motioned to the three I already had, I felt the need to explain they were not all mine. ‘So? I might grab three if there are enough?’ The girl replied. (If only I could finally break free from this scarcity mindset.)

Right when the burying part started I couldn’t help myself and  having deposited the flowers on top of the coffin I grabbed a shovel with all the guys. Because. Nobody puts baby in the corner. Especially not this she-hulk. 

By the end just about everyone had helped - some with shovels and some just grabbed clumps of dirt. When I handed off my shovel to my dear husband- the holding the dirt clumps and tossing them in was my favorite part by far. There was something so wholesome about actually throwing dirt on a grave. 

I realize it sounds odd to talk about how enjoyable it was to bury someone but I actually think it was all the community together doing it that was enjoyable. One lady talked about how her loved one was cremated and how healing it was to participate fully in this burial. 

The widow told me that she was loving this because she and her husband had a wedding put on by friends and now she was burying him with the help of friends. 

These people are so precious that I promise if you knew them at all you would have grabbed a shovel and heaved dirt with the rest of us. Even my emo teenagers got into it. One friend told me that she had asked her neighbor for a shovel and started to say ‘it’s not what you’re thinking,’ but then realized it likely was what they were thinking. 

We laughed, told stories about our friend, sang, cried and hugged his family. His two kids, grown now and both with spouses and his wife all seemed at peace. They had spent all week with him, knowing this was coming. I mean, really, what a way to go. At a loving home, surrounded by those who love you and then literally laid to rest by those same people.

The pastor that spoke was the former pastor and I joked with him that I could likely give the sermon at this point. He agreed but I don’t blame him one bit for always using the passage from Thessalonians. You see, they beat us to heaven, friend. They go first when He comes back. We follow them, not the other way around.  

But my favorite part of that passage is the ‘caught up together with them in the clouds,’ bit. I always picture a lively reunion. ‘So and so! How are ya? It’s been fifty years and wow you look good!’ Like I picture Jesus on His white horse getting annoyed, ‘like hello? I’m back!!’ Just chatting it up in the clouds. Hugs and dancing around in circles - spinning with the one you loved and have missed so desperately- and usually when I venture these ideas to someone they counter with ‘I think we are going to be focused on Jesus.’ Touché. But. If you have ever loved deeply and lost just as deeply, I have a feeling there is at least that one that you will be looking for in the clouds. I know I have several. Part of me hopes that there is time for all of it. For the perfect reunion and for the perfect worship of the king returning. One thing is for certain, it will be perfect.