Jordan's Funeral Service

This scripture was picked out by Chuck as we were planning Jordan's funeral and read by our deacon, Ben Luebbering. It meant a great deal to us, it helped us get through the first incredibly painful days. These words brought us reassurance that Jordan is now a normal little boy, that he has a perfect, new body. He's running and jumping and playing, doing all the things he couldn't do here. He has no pain, no suffering. We have peace knowing that we will be with Jordan again one day.

 

"For we know that when this tent we live in now is taken down - when we die and leave these bodies - we will have wonderful new bodies in Heaven, homes that will be ours forevermore, made for us by God Himself, and not by human hands. (2) how weary we grow of our present bodies. That is why we look forward eagerly to the day when we shall have Heavenly bodies which we shall put on like new clothes. (3) For we shall not be merely spirits without bodies. (4) These earthly bodies make us groan and sigh, but we wouldn't like to think of dying and having no bodies at all. We want to slip into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will, as it were, be swallowed up by everlasting life. (5) This is what God has prepared for us and, as a guarantee, He has given us His Holy Spirit. (6) Now we look forward with confidence to our Heavenly bodies, realizing that every moment we spend in these earthly bodies is time spent away from our eternal home in Heaven with Jesus. (7) We know these things are true by believing, not by seeing. (8)And we are not afraid, but are quite content to die, for then we will be at home with the Lord. (9) SO our aim is to please Him always in everything we do, whether we are herein this body or away from this body and with Him in Heaven.

(2 Corinthians 5:1-9, NLB)

 

Here are 2 poems that have special meaning to us. The first one was read at Jordan's funeral. The second one was read at the cemetery.

 

God's Child and Yours



"I'll lend you for a little time, a Child of Mine," He said,
"For you to love while he lives, and mourn for when he is dead.
It may be six or seven years, or twenty-two or three,
But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me?

He'll bring his charms to gladden you, and should his stay be brief,
You'll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay, since all from Earth return,
But there are lessons taught down there I want this child to learn.

I've looked this wide world over in search of teachers true.
And from the throngs that crowd Life's lane, I have decided you.
Now, will you give him all your love nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate Me when I come to call to take him back again?"

I fancy that I heard them say, "Dear Lord, Thy will be done.
For all the joy this child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness, we'll love him while we may,
And for the happiness we've known, forever grateful stay."

And should the angels call for him much sooner than we planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that came, and try to understand."

 

God's Garden Must Be Beautiful

God looked around the garden and found an empty space.
He looked down upon the earth and saw your tired face.
He put his arms around you and lifted you to rest.
God's garden must be beautiful, for He only takes the best.

He knew that you were weary, and He knew you were in pain.
He knew that you would never be well on earth again.
He saw the roads were getting rough, and the hills were hard to climb.
So He closed your weary eyes and whispered, "Peace be thine".