We had a wonderful sharing event at work – about funerals and traditions of faith – yes – work – because we have a faith group who connect and talk and learn and we love doing that… it’s a bold move by work to step into the one truly rarely public but surely spoken about – FAITH!

I don’t run the group but I am in charge of setting up these coffee chats = fresh faith fridays …  This one was blessed – with about a dozen people – from all over the country – from fresh perspectives – with fresh ears to hear…

I shared about a family’s celebration of life (outside) and how we had cake half way thru it! Her favorites lemon, orange… plus apple pie… others shared about the sadness of the finality of death. Some of us shared the sadness of our pets passing. One woman shared that she could not go to funerals normally but for her mother’s, she did get up the courage, energy, ability, to go. The crucial conversation was that we are not to judge other’s perceived obligations or abilities to attend loved one’s funerals, or even that when they don’t attend, it might represent even strongest of love and therefore sadness. Others shared the notion that “to dust we return”, understanding and that if you are involved in putting a shovel of soil onto the casket, which I did for a friend’s child’s service, you acknowledge that part of your grief process is also this acceptance… Gone is gone – but never forgotten.

These balloons pictured contain great sentiment about LOVE – that we will always love and miss our loved ones and cherish our memories.  These balloons also contained ashes and well, the balloons labored a bit from the weight but then took off – way way way up high…  I am sure to dust they would return at some point to the earth, even out to sea, but for that moment they were UP.

Then perhaps we would or should think of the dust of our start – and yet getting UP to the Heavens and the future of our lives in the non-flesh…  the blessings of knowing Jesus is an UPtick of life, UPside of death, and UP that won’t come down. 

To dust we may return – but we return UP = UP to the Lord – UP to Him to UP-end the battle of sin and death and we are to gratefully give UP to His Will to help us gracefully. God UPstarts the UPset by saving our souls…

Perhaps we are to use the dust around us best, and ask the Lord to direct our dust, then let it go…. UP…

(And DON’T be dissuaded folks when we draw closer to end times = look UP…)

Look UP!

JESUS IS OUR RISE…

Amen