Somebody Else May Be Struggling During the Funeral
Who do you try to comfort when you visit a funeral home or attend a funeral service? For whom do you pray?
I’m sure that most of us would say that we pray for the spouse, the parents, the children, other family members, and very close friends of the deceased. We know that they are hurting. We know that they are going through a very difficult time.
We search for the right words. We certainly do not want to say the wrong thing. We try to think of ways to help. We absolutely do not want to do something that would make matters worse for them.
Even if we cannot come up with what we think are exactly the right words or the most appropriate thing to do, we want to at least be there for them. We want to communicate to them in some way that we care. We want them to know that they are in our thoughts.
I’d like to make some suggestions about people you might want to include in your thoughts, prayers, and acts of kindness and support. These people are always there. Some may be “up front” and “in the spotlight.” Others may be a little more in the background.
You can usually identify them, in part, by how they are dressed. They do their best to dress in an appropriate and professional manner. Their attire and their actions are not at all meant to draw attention to themselves. That would be about the last thing they would want to do. All they are trying to do is to help a grieving family in whatever way they can.
Because of their professions, they are called upon fairly frequently to assist at times like this. Their desire is that their dress and their demeanor projects professionalism.
However, if you really get to know these people, you will find out that what they are doing is much more than a mere profession to them. I would even suggest that, if it would happen to be the case that what they are doing is only a profession, they need to find something else to do in order to make a living.
Who are these people?
Take the time to look closely at the person who has been asked to speak at the funeral service. Do more than merely glance at the people who work at the funeral home. You might be surprised at what you see.
The person for whom the service is being held may have been a very, very close friend of the preacher and/or those who work for the funeral home. In some cases, he or she may even have been a family member.
These people are not robots. They have feelings. They may be doing all they can do to “hold it together” in order for the memorial service to have the proper focus.
I know. I’ve been there. I’ve watched as my son, who is a preacher, has had to deal with this. I’ve had some real heart-to-heart talk with some funeral directors and other employees at funeral homes. They (we) struggle at times just like everybody else. As you pray and think of helpful things to do and say, please try to remember everybody who may be struggling. They (we) would appreciate it.
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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
