Tante Bertha did not attend our church; she belonged to the Body of Christ in a different location.  However, her daughter, son in-law, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and their families along with her niece and nephew, attend our church.  This week, Tante Bertha, the mother of Tante Siem and grandmother of Tommy and Louie, went home to be with the Lord. She was 100. Not too long ago the family celebrated her centennial birthday, and she was still able to attend the gathering in the nursing home where she resided, but since then she began to weaken as she journeyed home with Christ Our Savior.

Also, this week Santy and I were asked to minister to a family who just lost their mother last Sunday after battling cancer for 12 years.  She was half the age of Tante Bertha.  When God says, “It’s now the time,” we cannot say, “It’s not the time.” When God says, “Go,” we cannot say, “I don’t want to go.”  Death reminds us that there is no such a thing as “our time” because time is categorically God’s time.  He is the One who is holding the timer; we are merely runners, who are running to the finish line in this race called life.

Some are called to run a short-distance race; some, a long-distance race; and some, a marathon.  We do not know which is our race but like Paul, at the end of the race, we’d like to be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7). 

On the day we were born, God pressed the start button, so we ran.  “Some through the waters, some through the flood.  Some through the fire but all through the blood.  Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song.  In the night season and all the day long.” Amen.

Pastor Paul