It is very early Christmas morning this 2009th year of our Gregorian calendar. In Ethiopia, where my granddaughter is from, it is 2002. They are on the Ge’ez calendar which is based on the Julian calendar. Their Christmas is celebrated January 7 at the Feast of the Epiphany. Like many nights here the past year or so I am up with some sort of physical malady. I normally try to remedy the situation and go back to sleep, but this being Christmas I wanted to put down some thoughts going through my head.
My first thought this very sacred morning, is about a third cousin whom I have never met in person, and will not get to meet on this earth because she is slipping quickly away into timelessness. She is a beautiful woman, and from all I can gather a beautiful woman completely through. Heart, soul, mind and action. Rhonda is slipping away because of a serious case of Amyloidosis disease. A blog of her struggles has been kept up by her family and the last posting was at 6:07 pm Christmas Eve. It began with these words, “Rhonda might be going to see Jesus tonight.”
Several hours since now she may be already be with the very one whose birth we awake to celebrate today. An amazing, thrilling and awesome thought.
As Christians this is what we claim life is all about. My heart goes out to her family who will now live with an acute vacancy. Her children, Ronnie and Becky, her husband Ron, her parents and Ron’s parents, and all those who know her and love her so much. Saying goodbye to any one is difficult. Saying goodbye to a person like Rhonda is impossible in our own strength.
As the world begins its celebration of such a festive day, many will encounter heartache beyond comprehension. But, it is because of the event we celebrate this day that we can look forward to a place in timelessness when we will never again say goodbye.
I can’t explain what my expectations of heaven are. I only know that I do have very real expectations of being there. And therein to be able to meet and visit with those who have gone on before me, and who will follow me, that are special to me.
If this is the point in time that Rhonda escapes time, we can only say. “See you later. Save us a seat.”
