Each human being, for whatever length of time,
comes into the world, and
goes out of it, unique and unrepeatable.
In the face of death, we bless the
name of God, who gives life and receives it
back again. But also we are left
with the imprint of that particular person,
which has touched our consciousness
and altered our course, presenting us with
questions and affirmations and
resolutions.
So I will talk (only a little, to honor the
time) of how Lillie Haertig’s passing
through the world has clarified what our human
journey is about, and how
the way she lived and died has summoned us
to carry on; in other words, I
want to say how this life now completed is
a continuing call to worship God.
First, as all human life must and authentic
worship does, this account begins
with an acknowledgment of imperfection, of
the limits by which we are bound.
For example, it is very clear to me that I
did not do everything I could have to
lighten Ms.Lillie’s burden. When she
was ill at home, I didn’t visit her enough;
then, when she was in the hospital, I went
too often -- trying to make up for lost opportunities. Also this
I must confess: LeAnna, who was her nurse at home,
told me one day that Ms. Lillie was giving
up, and needed some encouragement.
Not knowing really what to say, but most of
all, not wanting, myself, to face
death’s inevitability, I put the visit off
for two days. The phone rang on a
Saturday afternoon when I was resting at home,
telling me that she had been
rushed to the hospital -- only then did I
remember that I had planned to visit
with her earlier that day, but forgot about
it.
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