Life and Death - questions

Life and Death - questions
Yesterday funeral
88 year old woman, Violet
Years of deteriorating mental capacity
Alzheimer's or dementia but
Good life, good family
5 children, 16 grands, 11 greats
128 in attendance

Life and Death - questions
Today funeral
Premature stillbirth boy, Bane
No years of life
Mom Courtnay, Dad Steven
4 sisters, 3 grandparents, 1 cousin/friend of Courtnay
12 total at graveside
Includes me and Jason
       Plant a tree, Courtnay

Life and Death - questions
Last year, a grandson, Wellington
      too premature, two hours of life
      daughter, our family, her boyfriend, his family
      grief, sadness, and a tree planted
Five Years ago Dad died
Twenty years ago Father-in-law Meryl died
      both great men who did great things

Life and Death - questions
Twelve years ago Seth committed suicide
Twenty five years ago Jerry died
      when tractor rolled
Fifteen years ago Jerry's wife Ruby
      killed by a car that ran a stop sign

Life and Death - questions
Jesus raised Lazarus dead three days
     and the son of the widow in Nain
            and the daughter of Jarius
And God raises Jesus
     showing marks of the crucifixion

Life and Death - questions
Last week Preston was born
      brother to Leighana and Wellington
Last year Teagan was born
      miracle despite mother's diabetes
Three and a half years ago
      Leighana our first grandchild

Life in the midst of Death
Death as a part of Life
Do we fear death?
     doing all we can to avoid it
Reckless in our teens and twenties
     Death cannot touch us
Fight it with medicine, procedures, etc.
     when we get older
And in our anger we
     wish death on others

Life is the process of dying
Dying is the end result of life
Yet we do neither well

Life and Death - questions
Never answered but there
     never thought of but there
So let's just live life without fear
     of Death
Live life as if Death were not
Live life loving forgiving reconciling
Live life redeemed
Live life
Live!