...for Wholeness THIS IS THE YEAR... “Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come.” Rev 1:4-8 Last week, a dear friend unexpectedly passed away. We had served with her at church for years and become very close with her family. On Saturday we will celebrate her life and the heavenly inheritance while comforting her family and friends. A few weeks ago, the eightyear-old daughter of our lifelong friends was given a terminal diagnosis. The father and I served as pastors together in our first church and our families grew up together. They are now navigating what it looks like to help their daughter transition into heaven. It was in this state of mind that my wife and I fell into a discussion about three different types of people. I had just spent Sunday afternoon talking to our friends who lost their mother and spouse. They talked about her life and their wonderful memories with her. They spoke of her willingness to pray at any moment, how hundreds of sheets of paper in the house were covered with scripture, and how she would quietly live out her faith in service each and every day. For this family the past was a comfort and they spent the warm afternoon dwelling on those wonderful memories. We saw the joy they received from reliving those past loving moments and we were blessed to be a part of them. This focus on the past was contrasted with another young woman we knew. She intentionally lived her life in the “now.” always enjoying the moment and being constantly “present”. Her life appeared fun with ample opportunity for happiness. She had collected experiences and was always looking for more. Her comfort was found by living in the here and now without dwelling to long on the past or thinking too hard about the future. In our own moment of sadness, this seemed like a beautifully distracting way to live. Finally, there are those who look to the future. About seven years ago, my father passed away in an ATV accident. The sadness WWW.PRO.LIFE | 1 (800) 858-3040 | 919 S. MAIN ST, SNOWFLAKE, AZ 85937 4
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