When we pulled into the parking lot of the funeral home, I felt nervous and kind of exhausted. I had spent all week preparing the eulogy for my friend Dave and now the day was here. I was tired and kind of just wanted to sit, remember, and grieve quietly like everyone else. But God had a job for me to do…so here we go.
The funeral home was packed. There had to be around one hundred people there for Dave…and I didn’t know any of them. My wife and I wandered through for a few minutes, looking at pictures of Dave and his family through the years. But my mind wasn’t settled, I had to find Dave’s son, David.
I approached a man standing alone and said, “Hello, how are you?”
He said, “Okay, under the circumstances.” I immediately knew this had to be David. He introduced himself and I did the same, and then we embraced in a hug. He brought me over to his wife and they introduced me to a lot of family members and friends. I began to relax a bit. I started putting faces with names that I’d heard for years.
After receiving instructions from the funeral director, the service soon began with a great song…Carrie Underwood singing How Great Thou Art. After the song ended, I approached the podium and shared my thoughts and memories of Dave.
I spoke of my friend, landlord, mentor, teacher, and most importantly, my brother in Christ. Dave was a family man through and through. The stories I shared were well-received, with a lot of smiles and head-nodding. And the family who wanted it “light on religion” smiled and nodded when I shared Bible verses, Dave’s favorite prayers, and my confidence that I would see Dave again because we shared faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
At the end a half-dozen people came forward to share memories. It was a great blessing to hear their love for Dave and how he touched their lives. And just like that, the funeral director came forward, gave final instructions, and dismissed people by rows…leaving me, my wife, and Dave’s family. It was over almost as soon as it started.
I’m glad to report that they weren’t offended by my faith-focused, Christ-centered eulogy. The good news is that they received it very well…but it was sad to think that they were initially nervous to embrace the faith that their father had proclaimed at the end of his life.
Why? Why is the preaching of the cross and faith in Jesus Christ so scary to non-religious, non-church attending Catholics? I didn’t beat anybody over the head with guilt, shame, condemnation, or a Bible. I simply shared the simple faith that Dave had come to receive near the end of his life.
Dave confessed to me a few years ago that he wasn’t sure if he’d make it to heaven. He hoped he was “good enough”. He recited to me all of the prayers he’d learned in his youth, but admitted they felt hollow and rehearsed. He had it all: a great family, a lake house, and financial security…but knew there was something missing.
I shared with Dave the good news of the gospel. God saw that sinful men like us could never be perfect or keep His laws. There was no perfect candidate to break the curse of our sin, so God sent His beloved son to break those chains from mankind. It’s only the work of Christ, and His shed blood, which can cleanse us from sin and make us righteous in Gods eyes.
No amount of good works, money, or repetitious prayer could ever pay sins debt…Jesus is the only way through heaven’s pearly gates. Nobody skips past Him. He did the hard part, and now extends the free gift of eternal life to all who will receive Him.
I shared with Dave many Bible passages over dozens of phone calls. I also bought him a Bible and had it shipped to his house. I wanted him to see with his own eyes what Scripture says about salvation:
John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 14:6, Titus 3:5, Romans 10:9-10, Romans 5:8, John 3:7, John 3:36…and many more.
And Dave read his Bible and gave his heart to the Lord. He prayed and asked God for forgiveness, trusted in Jesus Christ as His Savior, and believed that He had eternal life through Christ.
After the funeral, two men came up to me. Phil was the one driving Dave to his chemotherapy appointments just a few months ago. He said he was a Christian and wanted to thank me for sharing my faith with Dave. He said that Dave was really on fire for the Lord (at 87!) and always talked about his faith on the way to his appointments…where he also shared the gospel with hospital staff.
The other man was Dave’s nephew Chris who thanked me profusely for sharing Christ with his uncle. He said that he was convinced that Dave was in heaven because he had at long last understood the gospel and trusted Christ as his personal Savior.
This whole funeral experience was both stressful and a blessing. God laid a question on my heart the night before Dave passed, as I stood at the kitchen stove making ginger tea. I still was sick from a stomach virus and feeling terrible, not sure if I’d be able to give the eulogy at Dave’s funeral (even though Dave was still alive and I hadn’t been asked by the family yet…but the Holy Spirit knows)…and this hit my heart:
“Would it be worth feeling sick and stressed for the opportunity to share Christ with someone at Dave’s funeral who would become a believer? Wouldn’t that stress be a small price to pay knowing that a soul would be redeemed from eternal death? Consider what Christ endured to rescue YOUR soul.”
I had to say yes…of course! Now I sit here, back to health a week after the funeral, eternally thankful for the honor of giving Dave’s eulogy. The blessings far outweigh the stressing!
My friend, we’re all battling through this life with areas of heaviness, but God desires us to remain faithful to Him. Love Jesus, share Jesus, and know that Jesus can bless you even when things are stressful, for He is faithful!
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