Raymond Whitlock died last Thursday. He was a man with whom we attended church - he and his wife Joan started coming about the same time as we did, about three years ago. He was an art director at Christianity Today and Joan is the director of children's ministries at our church. I have had the honor of being a member of a group Joan led for a few women to learn from the Bible, learn from each other and pray.
A few months after meeting the Whitlocks, Raymond was diagnosed with cancer. It was all over his body. Quickly, so incredibly quickly, he went from a strong, young and hip guy to a person who began to look smaller and smaller every time I saw him. He was given six months to live, which would have put his death at May or June of 2006. Oh, we prayed!
So, when you hear about a man diagnosed with a fatal disease and given half a year left on earth, one whose body begins almost immediately to waste away, you think, oh, how awful it must have been for him. I know I did. And I'm sure it was. But when I saw him at church and went up to him to say how sorry I was, he looked at me and praised God. Raymond Whitlock praised God all the way through, day and night. He sang to Him, he loved Him, he knew that he was loved by Him as much as anyone and that he was meant to be an inspiration to others and let the light of the Lord shine through him. And shine he did.
Tonight was his memorial service. It was so beautiful. We sang "I'll Fly Away"
...when I die hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away...
and I pictured Raymond flying straight out of that failed body, right up to heaven to be with his Lord. What a blessing. What a life.
No comments:
Post a Comment