The Loss of a Friend

Many Christians don't really get death, they don't see it as a gain- they see it as a loss and they don't look forward to it. Others take on the attitude, I want to go to heaven after ___. Not yet, not until I have experienced all that I desire. But me, I look forward to the day I get to stand before my Savior; and I hopefully will hear Him call me His good and faithful servant. A dear friend of mine recently went home to be with the Lord. It was sudden and unexpected, and it left me with a feeling that I can't explain. A sense that I'm missing something... but I can't quite put my finger on it.
As I sat in the memorial service, I started to remember all the things that were special about this wonderful, wonderful lady. The ways that she blessed my life, that she may not have even been aware of. As people shared, it brought to mind so many things I had shared with her. I was overcome. Not for her, for me, for those of us that will miss her smiling face. And during the sevice, I wrote her a letter and I cried.
The truth is, I lose friends all the time. People move away. Changes in life bring distance. New jobs. New churches. New plans. New ministries. People come and go. And though they are gone, they are never forgotten. There are many who have gone whom I miss very much. We can't always help it when we lose a friend. But when you can help it... don't!