Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Life (06/15/06)
-
TITLE: No Need Of Sun Or Candle | Previous Challenge Entry
By Edy T Johnson
06/21/06 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
People don’t think of nineteen as “middle-aged.” For David, it was. He died of leukemia at thirty-eight. Being a preacher’s kid, myself, I have attended countless funerals. But, I saw something at David’s funeral I had never experienced until then.
The day steamed hot and sunny. The large church sanctuary offered standing room only, many mourners filling every overflow seat possible. Squeezed into the crowd at the back, near the main entry, I found myself to be in the perfect spot to view the recessional at the conclusion of the service. As the pallbearers moved the casket down the aisle, Molly, carrying her youngest toddler, followed. The other children clustered around her like little chicks hovering close to the mother hen. I dissolved in sobbing tears, grieving my best friend’s tremendous tragedy.
As the family following the casket drew nearer, turning toward the door, the sight caused me to suck in my breath in astonishment, momentarily strangling my throat in mid-sob. Molly’s face had such a sweet radiance to it, reminding me of the Virgin Mary in Michelangelo’s The Pieta. Just the hint of a brave smile touched the corners of her mouth as she held her child close to her heart. But, that wasn’t what took my breath away.
Prayers swirled through my mind, such as, how will she ever manage to cope with this loss? How does a family survive? How could any young mother bear such heartbreak, missing the love of her life? My thoughts halted, dead in their tracks. What I saw convinced me that Molly and her little family were surrounded by angels’ wings.
This was more than the reflection of sunshine I saw. And I don’t know how else to describe that brilliant golden radiance that seemed to surround the casket and the family, with Molly at the center. That glow had a quality to it beyond sunlight. It cast no shadows. Instead, it enveloped the scene passing before my eyes as if I were viewing life at another plane, a spiritual dimension beyond beautiful. I just knew I was seeing my friend and her family through the fabric of invisible angels.
In past reading of Scripture, I had been disappointed to learn there is no need of sun or moon in Heaven. “And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”* I couldn’t imagine how we might enjoy a place without sun or candlelight.
Now, I no longer wonder, for I already know. In the words of the song: “Mine eyes have seen the Glory.”
____________________
*Rev. 22:4-5 KJV
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
Wow. Just wow--one of the most beautiful moments, and one of the most beautiful sentences I've ever read.
You, too, are one of my favorites. I look forward to July 6th.
This whole section of your story was so fluid and full of a tangible, spiritual sustenance. I won't soon forget it Edy. Thanks, in my books this is a win.
Love, Val