I recently attended the funeral of a woman who died unexpectedly. It was a small and quaint funeral. The last time I saw this woman she was incredibly mean and rude to my sister and me, like other previous occasions. My sister and I ultimately just laughed off her rude behavior as usual and gave her a nickname, relating to her behavior. When she passed away we didn't really have that much emotion towards her death. We didn't cry or show any other type of emotion. We were a blank canvas. We attended the funeral services as a means of support for her family. Strangely I noticed that several of the guests were people that she had stained relationships with and people that didn't like her very much. It seemed like everyone came to support her adult children and their families.
When the funeral was over I thought about this woman constantly. I couldn't put my finger on why she weighed heavily on my mind. I thought it was her strained relationship with my sister and I, but I didn't understand that because we never knew why she was so mean to us. I thought that maybe she had a mental illness, but then I didn't want to hand her any excuses either. I suddenly focused on the faces of the people that filled the room. They were mostly people she had spoken and unspoken rifts with from the past and recent days.
Here's the lesson: One day we will all leave this earth. We will leave all of our closest and most distant friends and family behind. Once you have your relationship with Christ in order, then think about how would you like people to celebrate your life. How do you want people to gather in your name.
So here's my suggestion: It won't always be easy, but be good to people. Be honest with people. You may feel like there are some who won't deserve it, but they just might NEED it the most. Be a genuinely nice person.
In closing, here is a little secret, that woman was not a friend or an acquaintance. She was our paternal aunt.
