Goodbye, Jon

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them" (Revelation 13:14)

When I lived in Minnesota, a man and his wife in a church that I was visiting, invited me home for lunch after the service. They must have recognized that "I'm lost and alone, please be my friend" look I probably had, and they took me in. Jon and Colleen lived way out in the country, and had a beautiful red barn that had been used in a butter commercial. It was the most picturesque, lovely old thing and was a shiny red. Jon and Colleen's house was over a hundred years old, and they had lived in it for a long time. I immediately felt at home there, and wished I had been able to spend time sitting on their front porch more often during my Minnesota sojourn.
Jon and Colleen invited me over several times, and when Sam and I got married and returned to Minnesota, they invited us over. When they visited Indianapolis, they invited me to join them for a potluck at their son's house. They could not have been kinder to me.
I really like both Jon and Colleen, but Jon got into the cockles of my heart. Jon was a very kind, generous man. He was quick to tear up and reach for someone to hug. He had the most twinkly eyes and hearty laugh that made me want to tell him jokes and be witty just to hear him wheeze and laugh. Once during a sermon that went on and on, we were almost in tears from laughing on the sly. The pastor had exhausted nearly all the texts on a particular topic and suddenly, as our stomachs began to growl for lunch, he started in on another long list of texts. Colleen later said that we shouldn't sit together because we were a lethal duo.

I probably only spent time with Jon and Colleen six or seven times, but they were always welcoming and eager to spend more time with me. A few months ago I learned that Jon had just been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. I sent him a card telling him that I was praying for him and fervently hoped that he wasn't suffering.

Today I found out that Jon died a couple days ago. His funeral is in two days. The picture that I was sent in his death announcement showed him wearing a hat over what I suppose was a head bald from chemotherapy, and with his arms around his two sisters, and a very broad grin on his thinning face. He was wan but happy and full of life.

The Bible says that those who "die in the Lord" are asleep until the resurrection. That comforts me tremendously at times like this. I know I will see Jon again. Jon and Colleen, one of the most loving and in love couples I've ever met, will again be reunited, to love again forever and ever. I believe that Jon will spend eternity making others happy, just as he did here.

Sweet rest, my friend. I hope the Day comes soon.