So last night was the funeral service for the 22 year old young woman who passed away from an aneurysm. There were easily 500 at the service - MANY young people who knew this young lady from high school and college - even some of her elementary schoolmates. It just broke my heart.
This young lady had become a Christian as a younger girl and grew up in a Christian family. However, going to a public high school and secular college brought out what we see in many Christian teens today - a straying from the faith through their high school and college years. This young woman was so bubbly and wanted to be friends with everyone (and it seems she succeeded) and became quite the popular girl who partied and enjoyed life with the rest of them. After fainting, her father was driving her to the hospital and she told him that she was sorry that she hadn't been living her life for the Lord and she prayed with her dad for forgiveness. She really DID have a heart for the Lord but as often happens with us, the world pulled her in and she did not spend these years living for Him. Her confession driving to the hospital was not a death bed confession because she was a healthy girl who just fainted. Nothing serious, right? What she didn't know was that she had just over a week left on this earth.
So last night at her service, after some initial Scripture reading and such, there were 3 people who spoke about her - our youth pastor, her cousin and her brother. When her cousin got up, she read letters from different people representing different parts of her life - elementary school friends, high school and college friends, her sorority sisters, the fraternity friends that she had and one more that I can't remember (sorry). The overwhelming sentiment was that J was full of life, the life of the party, always accepted everyone, never had a negative word to say, was always smiling, so fun to be around and made friends with all those she met. Notice something missing? Yeah - I did too. Not one person spoke of her love for Christ. Her youth pastor did. But he was the only one. Even her brother (who I'm not sure if he's saved) said anything about God. So here is this girl who obviously touched many lives because there were well over 500 people at her service (and a good 400 the night before - not sure how many were repeats), and not one word was said about Christ from any of them.
My husband and I were talking on the way home about all of that. I came to the conclusion that I'd rather have 10 people at my funeral who met Christ because of me than 500 who like me because I was fun. I don't want people to say "She was such a lovely woman who was always smiling and was friends with everyone." I want them to say "I met Christ in her and I had to have Him." What am I doing daily that is showing others Christ? What am I saying each day that confirms that I'm a child of God and not a child of myself? What will be said in my eulogy the day that I have my funeral?
It's definitely made me think.
It's also made me pray for every one of those young people who knew J that they come to know Christ as their Savior somehow.
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