Said good-bye to my friend Claire the other day.
When I received the email asking me to visit her in the hospital, my heart sank. She was ready, but was I? What on earth would I say?
I thought back to the beginning of our friendship ten years ago. She was a new believer with a lot of questions and a desire to practice English. That was how our paths crossed. Later on, I watched her head toward seminary and then to our daughter church near Danshui to head up the fledgling ministry there.
When I saw her earlier this year, she looked frail. She wasn't feeling well, couldn't shake her cough.
Three months later, the doctor said she had cancer.
Cancer.
The word sent a ripple of shock and sadness through our church. We prayed-- but for what? For healing to continue her life on earth? Or for healing to continue her life in Heaven?
When I received the email, I knew it was time to come to terms with God's answer. So Sunday afternoon, I climbed into the back seat of an elder's car and headed to the hospital. As he wound through Taipei traffic, I wracked my brain to figure out what I'd say.
We pulled into the hospital, took the elevator up to the seventh floor and found her room. Before we even pushed the door open, we could hear faint strains of someone singing inside. We stole in to find Claire sitting up in bed, hunched forward, breathing heavily through an inhalator but listening to the words of "He Hideth My Soul." We flipped to that hymn and quietly joined in.
When clothed in His brightness, transported I riseI knew that cancer and chemo had ravaged her body, still I was not wholly prepared to see how close she was to death. She was tired from all the visitors that day, so we didn't tarry. Elder Pan prayed, and then we took turns giving her a gentle hug good-bye, blinking back tears that spilled over anyway.
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love,
I'll shout with the millions on high.
What I didn't say then, I want to say now.
For the past couple months, Grace and Faith have been taking turns being out of the office. This implies a myriad of things-- one of which is the fact that they get to hang out with some dear friends...without me. I can't help but feel a bit jealous. How can I not be when they get to spend time face to face with people I love?
On Monday afternoon, Claire left to meet my dearest Friend of all.
I confess there was a time when I did not anticipate Heaven at all.
Now I can honestly say...
I'm jealous.
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Soul Lemonade, No. 21
Taipei, Taiwan
