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Listen while you read: "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder"1
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Recently, I said my final goodbye to one of my dearest friends. Jan and I met as freshmen at our small Bible college in Portland, Oregon, USA. Though we studied hard, we also wholeheartedly enjoyed all the fun that college life had to offer. We loved being on the cheerleading squad together, as well as class parties, chapel services, and service opportunities.
Jan and I were the quintessential "country mouse" and "city mouse". She was a tall, beautiful, sophisticated girl from Portland. I grew up in a rural community in Washington State and knew little about city ways. We never forgot how — when we needed to cross a busy intersection a short distance from campus to reach the ice cream shop on the other side — I would squeeze my eyes shut and grab her arm to get me safely across.
Though our paths separated after college, we were bridesmaids at each other's weddings and stayed in touch throughout the years. Our life paths stretched to opposite sides of the globe, but we both eventually returned to the Pacific Northwest and loved occasionally meeting for lunch — usually with a group of our other classmates.
Then, one beautiful fall day in September, Jan was working in her backyard when she fell and hit her head on the hard ground. She never fully regained consciousness. As I visited her in the hospital and hospice, I held her hand as I reminisced about our lifelong friendship and our fun times together. I read Psalm 23 to her and played — on my cell phone — Day By Day, our favourite chapel song in our school days. My closing gestures were a kiss on the cheek and a prayer for peace and comfort in her final days.
These acts of comfort and kindness reminded me of my favourite scene in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. The time has come for Pilgrim to cross the river of death to reach the Celestial City where his loved ones are waiting. His friend, Hopeful, steps into the cold, turbulent stream with Pilgrim, but can only go partway with him. As Pilgrim begins to lose his footing and cries out in fear, Hopeful firmly grasps his arm and encourages him to keep going the short remaining distance. Just as Jan offered me support in crossing the busy intersection during our school days, now I was offering my encouraging arm of support as she crossed her own river.
Hebrews 13:14 – For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. (NLT)
Though I said goodbye to my dear friend, it is only for a while. C.S. Lewis said, "Christians NEVER say goodbye!" Knowing that heaven is the eternal home awaiting believers, how can we encourage others — and ourselves — when the time comes to cross the river of death?
Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, thank You for the hope of heaven and the assurance of what awaits us. Amen.
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About the author:
Gail Lundquist <gail10833@gmail.com>
Beaverton, Oregon, USA
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Thank you for that beautiful story of HOPE.
A beautiful story, Gail. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Gail, such an encouraging devotional. Blessings.
Thank-you Gail, I am sorry for the loss of your longtime friend.
Thank you for sharing a very short story of a lifelong friendship.
Thank you, Gail, for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today. To God be the glory! Blessings.
Gail, Such a well written piece with a wonderful reminder for we who believe in Jesus. Thank you! I like that the link was included from C.S. Lewis.
Dear Gail; What a beautiful story and vision. Deepest sympathy on Jan’s passing.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you.
For help and encouragement to cross that river.
Blessings.
Thanks, Gail, a very touching devotional! Loved the inclusion of the vivid CS Lewis passage. Bless you.
(BC)
Thank you so much Gail. Friendship is a gift from God. I will cherish them more. Father in Heaven bless my sister. Amen
(Québec Canada)
Thank you for your testimony of friendship and how important it is to keep in touch and communicate. Praise the Lord for the promises that we have in His Word, and how we can share them and be a help of comfort.
Dear Gail,
I have often enjoyed reading your comments for the day. As I have just lost a good friend to cancer, today’s readings were very helpful.
A big thank you.
Hello Gail,
Thank you for sharing your relationship with your dear friend throughout the years, and the privilege of being there to comfort her, before she went home to be with her Heavenly Father. It also showed the close bond between you two, right up to the end.
Grace and Peace to you!
I believe that this was the best devotional of the year…a personal experience, wisdom from a timeless novel, and practical ways to share our faith when someone nears death.
Thank you for sharing.
I won’t say goodbye.
(Ontario)
Dear Gail,
What a beautiful tribute to your friend.
Thank you for sharing your story and your final goodbye. Such a poignant devotional filled with love and good memories.
God bless you and may your faith continue to be of inspiration and strength to you and to all who know you.
Blessings,
(ON)
Thank you for your writing today, Gail and my sympathy to you in the passing of your close friend. It is always a difficult time in our lives to deal with a departure of a loved one, but the Lord gives us strength in knowing that one day we will have that happy reunion. In the meantime we must treasure the special sweet memories of times we have had with those people the Lord has provided in our lives. Blessings for your words today.
That’s a real WOW! story, Gail. Thank you. As I’m into my 80s now I realize that those separations will be happening more frequently. Many of my family members are certainly God’s people, but there are some who are not, and some whose condition is not always clear. I wish I could know for sure … I keep assuring him (my husband) that we’ll be together forever, but sometimes I feel so bereft thinking that maybe he isn’t ’in Christ’. Always praying /interceding for him.
Dear Gail,
I was very moved by your loving and beautiful devotional regarding your goodbye to your longtime friend, Jan. I did not know the song Day by Day so I played it while I reread your writing. What a blessing to have such an enduring friendship and the opportunity to say goodbye. I was emotionally connected to your reflection on Pilgrim’s Progress and the concept of never saying goodbye. They are so hopeful for Christians and a big part of our faith.
At this moment a dear friend is saying goodbye to her husband and we went for a tea so she could just share. They are still on the younger side and her life has been filled with early deaths. I believe God placed this devotional on today to help her. She has a very strong faith and a loving family which are giving her lots of support.
Thanks for sharing a tender message for us all to gain comfort. Blessings.
Thank you, Gail. What a sweet testimony of your friendship and the blessings of our future with Him.