“There are shouts of exaltation in the tents of the
righteous for the strong arm of the Lord has triumphed” is spoken during the
graveside service so that “I shall not die but live” might be true for the dearly
departed as well as the “blessed are they that mourn.” (Matthew 5:4) That is
the only way that the day you lay a loved one to rest could possibly qualify as
“this is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it”. That is
not to say our rejoicing denies the real loss we experience but that our hope in
the chief cornerstone denies death the last word for
us and for the one we commend to Almighty God. So we grieve, yes, but not as
those who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13) I had the incredible privilege
to witness such a death today as David Ball passed away peacefully surrounded
by those who loved him. There was no denying the real grief of the last two
days or the overwhelming sorrow as it became clear the only real option left to his family was to let him go. But it was the love of those who surrounded
his hospital bed that turned a Baylor ICU room into a sanctuary, a sacred
place, holy ground, where the saints on this side of the divide prayed and
cried and sang David over to the saints on the other. Praise God from whom all
blessings flow. Shouts of exaltation? Oh, yes. Yes, indeed.
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