Death with a purpose

Tonight, I attended the calling hours of my uncle Eddie. He passed away last Thursday and is currently talking with my other uncle and my gramma in Heaven.

Funerals are a time for families to get reacquainted. My extended family is horrible about keeping up-to-date, often seeing each other only at funerals. Such is the case with me and my cousins. I saw cousins tonight that I haven't seen since my Gramma's funeral a year and a half ago. I spent most of the night talking with my cousin Shelly.

Shelly told me about what has been going on in her life. About her family. About her work. And about her church. Yes, her church. Shelly accepted Christ as her Savior about a year and a half ago, and she told me about it tonight.

It all started on December 15, 2007. The day my Gramma died. She said when Gramma died, she started thinking about how Gramma was now in Heaven. She didn't understand that and she needed to know more about it. She started seeking and not too long later, she found Jesus.

She found Jesus because of the death of our Gramma. Gramma's death had a purpose. God's timing was perfect and allowed her (Gramma) to continue to impact people, even after her death.

Death is always hard, but knowing that God has purpose for death makes it a little easier. I love that my Gramma helped bring my cousin to Christ and that I will someday be in Heaven with both of them.

Rest in peace Uncle Eddie- and may your death have purpose in the Kingdom of God!