Together into Eternity

Last night, while driving the 4 hours home from East TN, I received a phone call. It seems that a family of four was killed in an automobile accident in LaFayette, TN, one of the towns hit hardest by the tornados a few days ago. This family was well known to mine, as Michael Welch was a fellow pastor in Shelbyville for the first few years I was here.

I have been to the Welch's home, climbed their tree-house, and laughed by a campfire with them. Michael and his family had moved to LaFayette to pastor a Methodist Church and had well entrenched themselves into the community. In fact, they had spent the day yesterday meeting and praying with the families who has lost everything in the storm. On the way back home, their vehicle was hit by a semi and Michael, Julie, Jesse & Hannah left this world for the next.

It is tragic because they will be missed. They were good people. Michael came to Chattanooga to give his sympathies when my mom died in 2001. Michael took me to lunch and showed me a used book store in Nashville to get me away from the hospital when my youngest son's life was in the balance, and my days were filled sitting in a hospital waiting room. Julie was a friend and leader in the things of God in this community. The kids loved animals, and Michael took great joy that he looked old enough to be their grandfather but they were his!

They are Christians not because they were good people, however. They are Christians because they had allowed Christ to forgive their sins and then committed their lives to Him as Lord. This gave them a promise.

I drove in to get to the house between 12:30 & 1:00 AM, and the boys were surprised because I wasn't due home until later today. We told them what had happened, and Jonah, my 10-year-old was profound.

"Dad, it's bad but kinda good, too."

"How son?" (I knew, but I wanted him to think it out)

"They get to be together in heaven."

Imagine the moment. They might have been shocked and looked at each other because they breathed the air of earth only moments before. Then, with smiles and a feeling of completion, they joined hands and strolled into eternity with the King... together.