Friday, July 11, 2014
Rest in peace...
Some thoughts as commented at Roger's funeral:
The Greatest Gift- LOVE--(1Cor 13) the chapter describes the Apostle Paul reminding and remanding the Corinthian Church, to not be ignorant or demonstrate ignorance as to the gifts bestowed by The Holy Spirit-- these church congregates were Grecians, Jewish men and women in Rome who had taken up pagan rituals.
V4-13
4 Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful,
5 not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered,
and it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not gloat over other people’s sins
but takes its delight in the truth.
7 Love always bears up, always trusts,
always hopes, always endures.
8 Love never ends; but prophecies will pass,
tongues will cease, knowledge will pass.
9 For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial;
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child,
thought like a child, argued like a child;
now that I have become a man,
I have finished with childish ways.
12 For now we see obscurely in a mirror,
but then it will be face to face.
Now I know partly; then I will know fully,
just as God has fully known me.
13 But for now, three things last —
trust, hope, love;
and the greatest of these is love.
Roger knew the gift of love--- he exuded love. Roger was acquainted with the gift of faith-- saving faith-- he understood through general revelation and also knew restorative healing through specific revelation. He did not describe it in eschatological or doctrinal terms, but he was familiar with the quickening of the Holy Spirit. He was comforted by God concerning his mother, Goldie. Roger spoke of his Spirit-guided notions of her place, comforted in the knowledge of her 'place,' perhaps as offering a home to him. God's grace was abundant and was sufficient in each detail related to Roger's needs once their relationship began. This Purple- Heart recipient found refuge under God's Wings.
Roger spoke lovingly of his brothers and sisters and was thankful for his caretakers. He was a man who came to -- love-- in very peculiar ways. He was patient, he came to patience. He was kind and loved life. He was enlivened by those around him who mirrored and reflected love back to him. He was a happy man-- a congenial man-- and in the last years, confessing and reconciled to God. At peace and in place.
The last time I was able to visit Uncle Roger, I was expecting to see him in a vegetative state-- that was what was described, so that was what I had conjured up in my mind. But as often was the case, Roger defied the odds -- blessed. He was in the living-family area at Cherry Hill sitting upright, all somatic signs appearing positive, smiling ear-to-ear . He was gesturally communicative and was able to speak several words. What a charmer he was, still winking at his favorite caretaker. As we were ready to leave, I kissed his head-- he was 'machined up' so his cheek inaccessible, and he said, 'I love you.'
Roger, in his last days, was a reminder of the many gifts, memories of being loved in childhood--- he was so very loving. Our memories of this loving man will remain in our hearts into eternity.
Soar with eagles!!! Hallelujah, praise God's Holy Name.
Love,
Sue
