My friend Ron passed away Saturday morning. He was a retired educator who was passionately devoted to Christ and who continued to learn and to lead others to do likewise. Ron was an amazing man.
He received word on Wednesday that there was no hope for him and he had no more than 5 days left. His blood had so little oxygen in it that it could not sustain life. He was with a good friend and former pastor when he received the news and spent much of the rest of the day planning his memorial, and talking to his children about their lives to come.
His former pastor encouraged him to use the time he had to look over his life--the churches he had participated in, the schools in which he had taught and the students whose lives he had impacted, the relationships he had with his family members and friends, and even those of whom he needed to forgive or ask forgiveness.
On Thursday, his hospice room was full of people who came to see him and say goodbye, one who even brought his guitar. They sang hymns, and prayed, and praised God together during that time. And Ron was able to tell his pastor that as he had looked over his life, he realized that there was no one he needed for forgive or ask forgiveness. However, there were some people he wanted to talk to. When they were notified, all came to his room to speak with him one last time.
A member of Ron's Sunday School class told me this morning that he had gone to the hospital on Wednesday with a heavy heart, but left having been uplifted through the sermon he had witnessed Ron live that day. He told me that Ron had continued to teach until the very end.
What a beautiful picture of a disciple!
Thank you God for Ron and for others whose very lives are a living sermon of the hope they have in You!
Margie Williamson
Community Manager
Comments
Thanks, Janice. The pastor friend mentioned above preached at Ron's service and described him as having been what God created him to be. Isn't that a lovely thought!
This was very touching. We have a lot of older saints in my church. It seems we lose some every few weeks. Recently it was one of the founding members, a lovely lady in her 90's. Thank you for sharing your heart and His.
Blessings, Janice