Requiem

Lucious died yesterday.

You probably don't know him.  He was a working guy, member of our church, dedicated to his family.  Pretty ordinary except that he and his family are such nice people that his death made the front page of our paper this morning.  In a world where if it bleeds it leads, he was so good a person that it pushed blood off the front page.

Lucious was diagnosed with a brain tumor and given 6 weeks to live.  It was a shock to everyone that knew him and a great wave of prayer went up around him.  And he didn't die in six weeks, nor in six months, nor in a year.  In fact, he lived nearly two years and was still working 2 weeks ago.  When the end came it came fast.  Mercifully.

But here is what I wanted to tell you.  His wife has kept a blog through this whole dismal affair and, as he lay dying in his last hours, here is what she wrote: Lucius continues to remain here on earth, at least partly. I felt certain he would go during the night. There are changes continuing to let me know the hour is approaching. His breathing is much more rapid now, sometimes 25-30 per minute. He is fevered, his BP is declining, but the heart rate is always elevated between 135-145. I thank God I have family and friends here to take care of the girls so that I can devote every second to being at his side. Despite the pain, this has been the most precious time I have ever lived.

The most precious time of her life....

I marvel at that.  What an incredible testimony to the capacity God has given us to love one another.  Maybe all creatures have that capacity at some level but I cannot believe that it's a product of evolution.  Only a loving God could have created it.