Memorial Day has occurred, and I did not notice the time was slipping away.
One of the toughest times in life is when you, as a pastor or friend, have to find the right words of comfort when brave men and women who’ve served their country go on to meet their Maker in Heaven.
Some go as saints; some do not. All are heroes, at least to me.
To be at the gravesite of a loved one and hear “Amazing Grace” being played on the bagpipes is one of the most moving, saddest sounds.
On this side, we are doing our best to say goodbye in a way that is fitting and hopeful for those who have gone ahead. Yet what is it like on the other side? We who acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and have asked Him to forgive our sins have this hope that we will be immediately in His presence the moment we leave this shell called our body.
Perhaps the songs on the other side are full of joy unspeakable, and full of the glory of God. As one writer put it, how will we react upon seeing Him for the first time? Will we fall to our knees, cry out in joy, shout, or fall as though we are dead before Him?
While on this side we are grieving the loss, on the other side is rejoicing for one who no longer has to deal with pain, suffering or sickness; he or she no longer knows the hate of another person or the ridicule and persecution of life.
I do not have all the answers; maybe He will just open His loving arms and take us in, perhaps even welcoming us to His presence.
Here on this side, there is quiet and reverence, and on the other side rejoicing. Allow me a little humorous illustration of the difference of the two sides of death.
On one side is the sad sound of bagpipes, and on the other side is the sounds of trumpets and other instruments playing that New Orleans favorite, “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
Hopefully, my version will not be, “When the Saints Come Dragging In”
May God bless you.
The Rev. Richard Helms serves at Miracle Acres Ministries, 3187 E. James Lee Blvd., in Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HELMS: What it might be like on the other side