Funerals SUCK!

Hubby and I went to the funeral home last night.  A friend of ours, a sweet man, lost his wife this week.  I won't lie.  It put me in a really weird place.  We were in line for two hours before we made it up to offer our condolences.  I actually heard people muttering about the wait...seriously?  A man's life is forever changed and you're worried about standing in line too long?  Grrrr.  Anyway...
I was a hot mess.  I kept having to count light fixtures to keep from crying in line.  I know I looked like a freak.  I mean, this woman wasn't my sister.  But, still...I kept thinking about how fragile life is.  I thought about how much I never want to be the one standing next to the casket having to say goodbye to someone I love.  It made me think about how much I never want to lose my husband...or my children...or my parents...
As we approached our friend, I broke into the "ugly cry".  Yeah, I have no control.  This man is such an interesting part of our story because after the tornado, he is one of the men that put our home back together.  He was here day after day working sweetly and compassionately.  I hugged him and told him that he helped us put our lives back together.  I wish I could do the same for him.  It was sad.  When we got home, Hubby and I were grabbing clothes out of our closet and I started to cry again.  Hubby looked at me and smiled. "I know"  he said. Our friend put together all of our closet organization.  I can't walk anywhere in this house without thinking of his kindness.
Hubby reminded me that this life is just a blip on the line of eternity.  But, when you lose someone...doesn't that blip feel like eternity?  Ironically, while I was putting my kids to bed last night, B asked me to read the Bible to him.  I read them a Bible story and then B and D-Dog started talking about having Jesus in your heart.  B asked me if the lady we went to offer our sorrow for last night was a Christian.  "Yes," I said.  D-Dog asked me if he had Jesus in his heart.  "Not yet, buddy...but I know you will soon.  You have to just listen for when God is putting it in your mind that you are ready."  D-Dog said, "I'll be ready tomorrow."  Big smiles...because everything for him happens "tomorrow".  Our conversation reminded me that three out of four of my kids have given their lives to Christ.  And I know D-Dog will be there soon.  There is so much hope and peace in that.  These verses keeps running through my mind from 1 Thessalonians 4:
¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For 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. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words. 

So, we have the hope of eternal life.  Even though I was kind of ripping on Adam and Eve last night. ;)  But, I still maintain...and I'm pretty sure everyone will agree...funerals SUCK!