When I was in my Terrible Twos (or in my case the also Terrible Threes) my Mother took my brother and me on a train trip from Washington State to Columbus, North Dakota. This was where the family homestead was and where most of the Norwegian Horntvedt clan still lived. Grandpa Horntvedt was retired and his son now worked the land, the third generation of Horntvedts to grow wheat. Grandpa Horntvedt met us at the depot in Minot. He picked up me, lifted me high in the air, and bounced me on his knees.
He loved his grandchildren and was thrilled to see and play with us. I liked Grandpa too. I could see his love for us in his smile and his desire to play with us. It was the beginning of a holiday week and the house smelled of cookies and treats. My brother and I were ready for a week of fun!
But as suddenly as we arrived in Minot, life took and sudden and unwanted turn in unexpected direction. Grandpa had a heart attack and died. Now it was the wake and the funeral that took center stage. I clearly remember the morning of the wake. Grandpa was laid in state in his best suit in his coffin in the front parlor of the farmhouse. Family, friends and neighbors came to pay their respects. My Grandmother sat in her rocker and wept. My aunts and uncles used busyness to hide their grief. Meanwhile, I crept up to the casket, put my hands over the edge of the open lid, and stood on my tiptoes to get one last look at my beloved Grandpa. He was there, eyes closed, but he was not there. Death had taken Grandpa.
We took Grandpa out to the cemetery and buried him under the frozen turf of the North Dakota soil that he had tilled for a lifetime.
You probably have accounts of the loss of loved ones that you remember. I also think of my Father and especially my beloved wife, Carolyn, whose passing is still deeply painful to me.
Another holy day is soon to be upon us, Easter, or, The Resurrection of our Lord. This is the time to recount God’s final response to death and its power to separate us from Him. We read Jesus’ story of suffering and death. Then we behold God’s act to raise Him from the dead. I like the passage from Hebrews 12:2. Speaking of God’s Son we read:
Who for the joy that was set before .
Jesus lived and died. We too shall live and die. But what God did for His Son was different. He raised Him from the dead, the first to be raised among all who repent and believe in Him. That we shall also be raised to a new and everlasting life is God’s promise to us. Death is sad, but it is not the last word. So let us turn from our own way and trust Jesus. He will give us the power to see Him and our loved ones beyond the veil of this life.
Easter Blessings,
Tim Cartwright, Pastor