God's kind providences

For six weeks after my father died, some twenty three years ago, no one died.

At least, not in the parish I was serving back then. Neither before nor since, in my time as a parish minister, have I ever had such a lengthy run of 'empty' weeks, without a single funeral service to conduct.

It was strange. Very strange.

It felt at the time as if the Lord was very gently shielding me from what was always going to be a difficult thing to do. Like he wisely, kindly, simply gave me space to mourn my father's death.

I was very grateful to him. Still am.

The Lord is good that way. Well, he's good every way, of course! But little things like that are really pretty special and they mean a lot.

It sort of let me know, in a very personal way, that he actually cares for me - and cares so much that the smallest little detail of my life is given the attention of the great eternal God.

Amazing really when you think about it!

In a strange sort of way it's been much the same this week as well. Very different, of course, because this time round I'll be myself conducting the service of thanksgiving.

Which was not the case with my Dad. Back then I knew most clearly from the Lord that I should have no part at all in leading any aspect of the service that was held. With my Mum it's very different. I'm pastor of her church, for one thing. But more than that, a few years back the Lord made it crystal clear to me that I was to take her funeral.

And today I was conducting a service of thanksgiving for another family person. A lady much the same age as my Mum.

And a lady, moreover, who died about two weeks back. I cannot think of when I've ever had that sort of gap between a person's death and then their funeral. And I'm still not all that sure just why there's been that gap in this particular case.

Strange, again.

As if the Lord himself somehow postponed the funeral service till today so that I could have a sort of 'trial run' before I take the services for Mum on Monday of next week.

It was hard, I have to say: but a help. I think I almost needed that. And so, with really quite a striking sort of providence, the Lord himself provided that.

I was glad I'd prepared it yesterday, though. For the bulk of the morning today was spent with my sisters and brother as we worked on the service for Mum.

Again, a bit like yesterday, it was almost like living two parallel lives. In a strange sort of way it helps me understand a wee bit more just what it must be like for God himself.

The God who serves as father and as pastor to the world he made. And yet the God who's very much a part of it as well. The God who comforts others yet is greived and pained himself.