When Death Comes

Two weeks ago I attended the funeral of a woman I barely knew.  Some people would ask, Why did you go?  The answer may seem very strange:  I appreciate funerals.  At a funeral, I have the opportunity to do several things:

• I can show my affection for a friend or family member by supporting them at the death of their loved one.  Rarely does someone say, Why in the world are you at my aunt's funeral?  The grieving family members are usually grateful for the numbers of people who come to show their love and support.
• I can watch and learn about good, bad, and indifferent funeral services.  I enjoy this because part of my job is to help with funeral services that take place here at our church.  I learn a lot from the services that I have attended.
• I can learn about people.  I like to observe the actions and reactions of people. I watch to see what behaviors and what words seem to mean the most to the grieving family members.
•  I learn wonderful things about the person who has died.  In my mind, a "good" funeral leaves the attenders thinking:  I wish I had known this person better.  Wow, I didn't know he/she did that!  A funeral services fleshes out the life of a person I barely knew or only knew in one aspect.  Through the funeral eulogy and sharing and comments from others, I learn about all the other parts of a person's life, how their siblings viewed them, what their children thought about them, why their friends loved them so much.  A funeral honors and lifts up the person who has left this life. 
• The "best" funerals are celebrations - because we don't "grieve as the rest of men, who have no hope" (I Thessalonians 4:13).  Our grief is for those left behind, who will miss the one who died.  We rejoice for the one who has walked into the presence of their Lord and Savior - who are enjoying their new home with Jesus.

So, although it may seem, strange, I always try to go funerals.  It's a "Caring" thing to do.