Last week I was invited back to my old parish to take part in a funeral service.
It was an honour to speak of someone who had been vivacious and funny, conscientious about her work, a devoted family person and a kind friend to so many of us.
Yesterday while scrolling down I came across her number on my phone and sadly thought I wouldn’t be needing it again. But as I tried to remove the name the message came up on the screen, ‘Cannot delete this contact.’
I don’t know the technics of it but I don’t mind, let it stay. Family and friends we have known and loved can never be deleted from our hearts anyway. While we entrust them to the grace and care of our Master in Heaven, they live on in another way, in our thoughts and memories. Always.
Several scripture passages come to mind:
Exiled giant-killer David, grieving over his friend and comrade Prince Jonathan. (2 Samuel 1 v 26)
Imprisoned church leader Paul, writing to thank his old parish in Philippi who had thought to send their former pastor some support. (Philippians 4 v 14-20)
Not least God Himself, assuring His people in Jerusalem, ‘I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…’ (Isaiah 49 v 15-16).
Thanks be to God for His faithful, tender mercy, and for all those precious individuals who have in various ways touched and enriched our lives.
Gone, but not deleted!
It was an honour to speak of someone who had been vivacious and funny, conscientious about her work, a devoted family person and a kind friend to so many of us.
Yesterday while scrolling down I came across her number on my phone and sadly thought I wouldn’t be needing it again. But as I tried to remove the name the message came up on the screen, ‘Cannot delete this contact.’
I don’t know the technics of it but I don’t mind, let it stay. Family and friends we have known and loved can never be deleted from our hearts anyway. While we entrust them to the grace and care of our Master in Heaven, they live on in another way, in our thoughts and memories. Always.
Several scripture passages come to mind:
Exiled giant-killer David, grieving over his friend and comrade Prince Jonathan. (2 Samuel 1 v 26)
Imprisoned church leader Paul, writing to thank his old parish in Philippi who had thought to send their former pastor some support. (Philippians 4 v 14-20)
Not least God Himself, assuring His people in Jerusalem, ‘I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…’ (Isaiah 49 v 15-16).
Thanks be to God for His faithful, tender mercy, and for all those precious individuals who have in various ways touched and enriched our lives.
Gone, but not deleted!
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