My friend TC.
He smiled and said, “You better.”
“You better.” Tom’s reply when I asked him if I could pray with him. And then I smiled and four hours later … still smiling.
A brief friendship …
I haven’t know TC for very long, but I have a very strong feeling that he did this often, made people smile, that is. And not just a passing crease on our face that is there and then gone like a wisp. But a smile that resonates, keeps smiling even hours later, keeps tickling your funny bone, deep down, as it happens when someone marks your life deeply with a genuine kindness. Smiling like I am now, hours after his reply, and color me sentimental but I am still warmed by that smile that almost imperceptibly drew itself over the features of his face. Strictly speaking, this was a weak smile, frail, no hardy “ha, ha, ha” laughter accompanying it.
But as I looked at him lying in that hospital bed, I saw strength not weakness. That thin brush stroke of a smile was painted over the canvas of a life that had been ninety-eight years in the making. Powerful indeed.
I didn’t mention yet, have I, that Tom is dying. How could I leave that out? Actually, by the time I write this he may have left this world for the kingdom of heaven.
So that is kind of the thing.
Tom was dying but he wasn’t. Physically his life on the planet has been shortened to hours, maybe minutes. Maybe gone. But if you had seen Tom as I did, you would know that this man was not dying.
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! What joy! What joy!”
Not the words of a dying man …
Doesn’t sound like the words of a dying man to me. He had such great anticipation of seeing his God and King that I was ready to go with him. In fact I joked, “Tom, I am so excited. Maybe I could go with you?” His response, “What joy, what joy!”
Another smile. His. And then another. Mine. And another. Me again.
- John 11:25–26 (NIV84)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Tom believes it and so did my mom …
He does. He believes it. Even though he dies, whoever lives and believes in me will never die. “Die … nah! I’m just about to really live.” The last time I felt the presence of God so strongly around the time of the death of one of God’s saints was when my own mom died in a car accident minutes after leaving our house ten years ago. Great sadness but great joy. And the presence of God was so real and strong that it seemed our Lord had sent a personal escort to bring his servant to himself.
Precious.
Life lived for God. Check. The breath of God all around as this precious saint leaves Earth for the glory of God and heaven.
Thanks, Tom, for looking death in the face and seeing life. The life of Jesus. That is what I keep seeing in that smile of yours.
- Psalm 116:15 (NIV84)
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
Tom, I’m not sure but I thought I saw quite an entourage parking a chariot somewhere around 8th Avenue. Okay, so I didn’t really see anyone parking a chariot, but I know they were there. I could see it all over your face.
See you later, friend!
