When the Neighbor Knew Something Was Wrong
I am writing these words on the day I was asked to participate in the funeral of a very special Christian lady. Some of what I am about to type could probably be written after any number of funerals. I am afraid, though, that not all of it could.
Funeral services have a way of reminding us about things that are vitally important. A story I heard from a family member is, at least to me, a great example of this.
Many of us have had the heartbreaking experience of trying to help a loved one as the aging process takes a terrible toll on that loved one. At some point during that process, you’ll start hearing or saying things that communicate the message that the person is no longer really the person everybody remembers him or her being.
Our dear sister was one of those people. As time went on, that fact became increasingly apparent. What I found interesting was how that fact became apparent to a neighbor. I do not know that neighbor, but, from what I understand, he is a good person and was a good neighbor to the lady who has just passed away.
While that and many more good things could be said about the neighbor, he did not share with our departed sister one thing. I was told that he does not see the necessity of assembling with others in order to worship God. (I kind of prefer that wording better than “going to church,” but that’s just me.) Our sister, on the other hand, was one of those people you’ve probably heard described as “being there every time the doors were open.”
On one particular Sunday, when some family members went to take the lady to a worship service, they received an unpleasant surprise. She was not dressed in her normal “Sunday best.” Some of this probably had to do with her mental condition. There had already been times when a family member had gone by during the week to visit with her and help her only to find her dressed for worship. I think that there may have been other times when she had forgotten that it was Sunday and they had to help her get ready.
This particular Sunday was a first though. It was the first time that she had told her family that she was tired and had decided not to go. Admittedly, she may have been trying to “cover” her mental decline, but the family was surprised (shocked might not be too strong of a word) at her decision.
When the neighbor learned about this, he knew for sure that something was wrong with a lady he had known for quite a while. I’m sure that he had seen other signs, but for him this one was the one that was unmistakable.
I am the first to admit that there is more – much more – to being a Christian than merely showing up at a church building. However, one special lady left a special legacy for her family, her friends, and even a neighbor. They (we) know that, before the aging process began to take her away from us, she would be with her brothers and sisters in the Lord when they met to worship and study God’s Word.
You probably have no trouble figuring out where I’m going with this. I’m wondering how many people believe that “skipping” an opportunity to worship is no big deal. All too often, it seems to me, time set aside to worship and/or study God’s Word takes a back seat to travel plans, a sporting event, a day on the lake or in the woods, “just chilling out,” or any number of other things. After all, the reasoning goes, after a week filled with all kinds of activities, “Sunday is my day to do whatever I want to do.”
There are at least a couple of things wrong with that “reasoning.” First, Sunday does not follow the other days of the week. Sunday is the first day of the week.
Secondly, the first day of the week is not my day. It is the Lord’s Day. It is the day during which we find people in the first century demonstrating their love and devotion to Jesus by assembling to worship. It seems more than just reasonable to assume that people who love and are devoted to the Lord in the twenty-first century would also be doing that. To use a quote that may have been more fashionable a few years ago than it is now — “If not, why not?”
Would your absence cause any concern or would those who know you also know that “this is the way it’s always been” with you? As kindly as I can and as grammatically suspect as this is, I suggest that your answer to that question could be a much bigger deal than you may think.
People who love us are watching. Neighbors and friends are watching. People we may not know could be watching. Without a doubt, the Lord is watching. Unlike the others, He is not surprised by what He sees, He already knows our hearts. If we don’t have room in our schedules for Him, I believe that it is highly unlikely for Him to find room in heaven for us.
AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
