Ridgell's Originals

My friend David is being buried this morning.  I guess everyone sort of things David was their friend because he was one of those people who was everyone's friend.  David's wife Cindy is the Finance minister for our church.  They were a core part of our church family.  David loved life, he loved his family, and he loved his church.  He was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago.  Said it was one of the best things to ever happen to him.  Cancer forced a strong man to depend on God and others.  It helped him treasure his time with Cindy and their grown daughters.  Helped him value life even more.

David was a policeman.  He was one of those cops who believed his job was to help people.  He was the one you wanted to be there if your kid was in a wreck.  Or when your kid got in trouble.  His cancer journey was a testimony to the whole city of Abilene about God, love, faith, family, and church.

He died last week and it got me to thinking about how heaven looks to a policeman.  By the way, I want to be clear that I believe David is in heaven because he is a believer, not because he was a policeman.  His identity was in Jesus.  Police work was his profession.  I know a lot of Christian police and I know some who are not believers.

But I knew David as a brother in the Lord first, and a policeman second.

So here are some things I think David must be enjoying in heaven.

As a cop and as a cancer patient, David sure understood that we live in an evil world.  And now he is in a world where evil cannot be.  He has seen God's face and sin, cancer, and the evil of this world is gone forever.

Policemen see a lot of bad things.  They will tell you that evil works in darkness.  Crime is more difficult to do in the light.  David is home in a city where there is no darkness.

David had to deliver bad news as part of his job.  Crime, death, and tears were part of his job.  He sometimes had to be the bearer of bad news.  And he knew how it felt to get bad news.  Cancer diagnosis is never what you want to hear.  He and family shed tears.  But now God has wiped away all tears from David's eyes.

Best of all, David finished.  He is home.  Forever.

Some see the death of a mid-fifties policeman as tragic.  And his family grieves.  Our church family grieves.  Our city grieves.  But his family and his church family do not grieve as those who have no hope.  In the midst of tears and pain, you see our smiles and hear our laughter.  Because of Jesus. Because we are happy-sad.  Sad for us, happy for him.  Because we believe.  Because David believes.  
He is where we want to be.  By God's grace.  And by God's grace we will be together again.

So thanks God for the hope we have in your Son.  Thanks that David has seen that hope realized.  You brought him home safely on many nights here.  And now you have brought him home safely forever.  Thanks for the great memories of life shared with David here.  Thanks for the life we will all share together again around your throne.