Black suits and extra cash for a flower arrangement were in the back of our minds. I was making mental notes of what I would say in the eulogy. Our friend was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. He hated hospitals. He was ready. It was all just a matter of time. But God had a different plan for our friend. A full recovery and a prescription for a healthy lifestyle.
Sometimes you pray for things just because it's right. Though your faith in God is strong, your faith in others...well..not so much. My friend had given up and so we prayed more for an easy end then a full recovery, something we didn't see coming.
A 'new lease on life', a 'second chance', a 'reprieve'. Whatever God has given him, it is nothing short of a miracle. The Lord has once again moved in a mysterious way. But now, rather than the process of grieving, we are called to a more difficult task. To bring the appreciation of life and its blessings back to our friend. This second chance is not for him alone, but for all of us who, for the past six months have sat back and allowed him to give up. How many times do we lose someone suddenly and then wish for one more day to do and say all the things we should have? This is one time God is saying "Here you go."
My friend is a good person with a bad look on life. I am searching my bag of lessons collected along my journey to see what it is I can do to put him back on his. I could loan him the glasses I found that help me see the suffering of others. Or he could take a walk in the shoes I wear, the ones that eased my road back to prayer and meditation and the comforting traditions of the church in which I was raised. Or perhaps I can just give him my hand and lead him on his way. Much like the hand that pulled me from my darkness and toward the light of a new day.
I look forward to his journey. To see him gain purpose. To help him find the path that God placed him back on. God gave us a miracle. And it is our job to give validity to His message.
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