Faith strong through passing
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
3 of 3 free articles.
Editor,
This past week I participated in a memorial service for a Christian lady who lived in Lake County for many years. She was a personal friend; Joyce and I visited her several times in the closing months of her life. When she became so weak and was unable to visit or even open her eyes, we would sing some of her favorite hymns, read familiar scriptures and pray with her. Occasionally we would see a slight smile or under her covers a tapping of a toe when we sang. It appeared that as she grew physically weaker, her confidence in the future grew stronger and brighter.
There is a line in God’s good book, a quote from Paul’s letter to the Philippians where Paul says, “for me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better” (1:21 NLT). An earlier translation of part of that line is, “to die is gain” (KJV). I’m sure that there are many folks who find it hard to believe that dying could be better than living, or that something good is gained when they pass from this life. It is a knowledge and an advantage that only lovers of Jesus possess. Paul’s explanation of “even better” and “is gain” is in verse 23 where he writes, “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.” Our Christian friend anticipated that truth, which she knew from her knowledge of the Bible and specifically these lines in Philippians chapter one, that she would soon be with her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, with whom she had developed a love relationship while living here in Lake County, Montana. What a wonderful Savior. Perhaps the best news of all is that she desired, prayed and served so that others would have this same knowledge and anticipation of, “dying is even better.”
She was a rancher’s wife; a mother of five children; grandma to 15 grandchildren; great grandmother to 67 great grandchildren and great, great grandmother to 27 great, great grandchildren.
What a special lady.
Harvey A. Town
Polson
