I buried a dear friend of mine Tuesday. Many of you who attend WCC knew Eddie Watkins and knew of Eddie's battle with so many physical ailments. About a week ago Eddie decided to stop taking his dialysis and make his journey home. Saturday morning, in the loving care of his wife Cathy, Eddie made the journey and today he is in heaven.
Over the years I have been asked to do quite a few funerals. Some have been extremely difficult as I have had to stand with the family uncertain of what to say because I wasn't sure whether their loved one had put their faith and trust in Christ. That wasn't the case with Eddie. During the months before Eddie died, he and I spent some time together talking about his relationship with the Lord. On one particular occasion, as I visited him in the hospital, I just point blank asked him, "Eddie do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?" With no uncertainty in his voice, he responded, "Yes I do."
As I spoke about Eddie yesterday I reminded the family of 3 things. First, Eddie was in a much better place. I love the passage in Revelation that says that there is coming a day when Christ will wipe the tears from our eyes and there will be no more death and no more pain and suffering. Why? Because the former things have passed away. The former things for Eddie consisted of sitting in a wheel chair unable to walk or run. They consisted of not being able to drive his truck or go to ballgames and races. They consisted of the painful experience of taking dialysis once a week. His quality of life was so poor. But God, in His loving mercy chose to wipe the tears from Eddie's eyes, to take away all the suffering and pain, and to welcome him home to a place where there won't be any more death. Today Eddie is well. Today Eddie can walk. Today Eddie is home with the Lord.
I reminded the family that Eddie had a special place created just for him. I spoke about how it's interesting that we put so much stock in things here on Earth when the Bible is clear that we are strangers and aliens here. The apostle Paul referred to himself as a foreigner just passing through. The reality is this, we are not living in the land of the living trying to make it to the land of the dying, we are living in the land of the dying trying to make it to the land of the living. Eddie's made it. Praise be to God!
Finally, I spoke about the fact that when we know Jesus Christ as our own personal Savior, death creates a separation, but only for a little while. When I was a teenager Michael W. Smith wrote a song that said, "friends are friends forever if the Lord is the Lord of them". These are catchy lyrics and great theology. One day Eddie will welcome home all those he knew here on earth that had a relationship with Christ. I will be one of those Eddie welcomes and I can't wait to see my dear friend. While death certainly is a time of grief, as I write this I can say that I am so thankful for a God, that through his death, has taken some of the sting out of the pain.
Yes, Death has lost it's sting,
Thanks to the One,
Who has swallowed up death,
And gained victory for us.
The sting of death is sin,
And the power of sin is the law,
But praise God that He gives us victory,
Through Christ Jesus His Son!
See you soon Eddie!
Your friend,
Blake
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