This was a post I was hoping I wouldn’t have to write.
I was hoping to be able to tell you today about a miracle, that my cousin Benji had suddenly woken up, smiled his beautiful smile, looked around and wondered, “What’s going on?”
Unfortunately that didn’t happen. Instead, yesterday afternoon Benji passed away at 51 years old, leaving us with our grief, heartbreak and memories of a wonderful man who loved his family and brightened the lives of so many others.
My daughter still remembers when Benji rolled up to our house in New York in his big semi-truck for an unannounced visit. She remembers him swinging her in his arms, making her squeal in delight.
I remember wonderful times with him and his siblings playing in their backyard in Tennessee and swimming in a creek on a Sabbath afternoon.
Those are good memories. I just wish there were more of them. But, even through my tears, I find reason for joy, because there are more memories to come.
You see we “do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 NIV).
A new day is about to dawn, a day when “sorrow and sighing will flee away.” (Isaiah 51:11) On that day “the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Someday soon we will see Benji’s big smile once again and hear his laugh fill the room. Soon “we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with [him] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
Meanwhile we are left with our grief and our memories. We are left with our sorrow and our tears. But we are left with something more – Hope!
We have this hope of a better day to come, a day when death will finally be “swallowed up in victory.” (I Corinthians 15:54). May that day come soon, is my prayer.
Until then, rest well, Benji. We’ll see you soon!