Graduation Day

May Day. Brings to mind children or adults dancing around a may pole or baskets of flowers given to a loved one. I've never done the former, only the latter, but not this year. The month of May ... Memorial Day activities, high school and college commencement ceremonies, weddings.

This is the second day in 17 days I've had a reasonably good night's sleep, meaning 5 to 7 hours in a row. Thank you Lord, but won't you please, can't you please, make it more frequent... but let's not grumble, I shouldn't be so picky.

Last night I finished the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Renate Wind. Very good book. Made me consider more on the realities of death. What it is, what it means.

Earlier this week, a longtime church member died of cancer.

Death is a part of life, is it not?

Is death the end

or is it the beginning

Is our life on earth as we have it that is so important

or is our life in heaven that which is more so

We grieve.

We grieve again.

We grief for those who no longer live among us.

We grief for ourselves who no longer have the companionship of those gone on.

Grief continues and will always be sadness and sorrow

for companionship of loved ones gone

But joy comes in its wake when we realize ...

There is more, much more to our earthly life when with Jesus we walk.

~~~~~~~

Michael Spencer, the "IMonk" died April 5 of cancer. His legacy, and blog, continues ... Internet Monk

David Wayne, a fellow blogger, wrote about our remaining days being preparation for graduation.

I never thought about death in those terms. Graduation to my thinking is finishing high school or college and moving on to other educational pursuits or into the business world or getting married.

Death is not the end, but a beginning, Bonhoeffer says. It's a beginning because since we are one with the Lord, one in the Spirit, we look forward to, with joyful anticipation, to where we are going - to heaven, of seeing and being with our most precious Lord Jesus, face to face.

Ah yes, graduation day. Going home.