Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Death Leaves Shattered Dreams

“He will remove all their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.” -- Revelation 21:4

He went to lunch. The same thing he did every day he worked. Only this day he didn’t come back. His co-workers began to notice his absence. They got worried. They tried his cell phone but got no answer. Finally a supervisor called the hospital and found him.

His young wife sat there alone. He was dead. Just that fast. All their hopes and dreams shattered in a split second. His life on earth ended at age 23. She is now a 20-year-old widow. We know it can happen. We just never expect it to happen to someone we know.

I first met this young man several years ago when he began his job. He started at the bottom but he was never at the bottom of his supervisor’s radar. He was smart and he had a particular aptitude for engines and mechanics. He got promoted rather quickly. His supervisor started sending him to special schools. Yeah. He had a bright future working for people who valued his abilities.

He was a favorite among his co-workers. He had a quick laugh. His eyes would twinkle and he’d shake his head, a grin spread from ear to ear. He’d snag a soda or donut, look around to see if anyone noticed, then laugh about it as he leisurely strolled back to the shop.

He told me once that his mother was determined that all her children would attend college. He was just as determined that he would not. He was smart enough. He just wasn’t interested and considered college a waste of money for someone who would never use a degree.

He loved all things mechanical. He had a knack for engines -- cars, trucks, motorcycles. He loved to tinker with them and always had. That’s what he told me. He knew what he wanted to do and was determined to make his dream come true.

If he’d just left that motorcycle alone. He’d only had it a week. He usually drove a deep red Mercury that he’d spiffed up in his customary style. But not that day. Not that lunch. Not in that moment when it mattered.

So now family and friends will gather around his wife and his mother. They’ll mourn and rejoice, all at the same time. Because he’s gone home and doing just fine but they’re still here and face endless days and nights without him by their side.