Cloud of Witnesses

Everything aligned rather quickly for Patrice and I to make a quick trip to the coast to attend the celebration of life and the home going of my cousin Daniel.  When the day dawned bright and sunny and there was no sign of an impending blizzard on the Coquihalla highway, we jumped in the car and sped off through the mountains.
I was mesmerized by the beautiful sights, worshiping the Creator as my eyes drank in the blue of the sky, the lakes and evergreens and the snow topped mountains. The trip went quickly and we arrived at the big church just in time to join the throngs of others who had come to pay tribute to a life well lived.

I was hoping to be here to honour the family and to somehow, physically show my respect for a cousin that lived and died to give glory to God.

It was beautiful to see the hundreds of people gathered to sing praises to God and to honour my cousin's one wild and precious and, sadly, short life.

He was a father to a sweet four year old son Josiah, a two year old daughter Kezia and a husband to his devoted wife Evelyn.  He was a son, he was a brother, he was a cousin and he was so much more.

( borrowed this beautiful family picture off Facebook)

The words spoken about his well lived life brought so much glory to the God that He loved and lived for, every single day since he trusted Him as his Lord and Savior at the age of 12.

I was inspired by his evident love for the Word, and for his very evident passion for Jesus and for people.  I was proud to be related to such a Godly man.  I was proud of his parents, who, against all odds, raised two incredibly wonderful young men whose soul passion in life is to honour their Savior. I was proud of his brother, who has lost his best friend and who spoke eloquently and beautifully of their rich growing up years and of the amazing relationship the two of them shared. I was proud of his wife who loved him well and fought valiantly for him throughout his difficult illness while looking after their two small children.

There was a short, crazy time of seeing cousins that I hadn't seen for many years, and to connect briefly with ones that share some of my genetic code and some fun memories of Easter celebrations together many years ago.  There's a bit of a dark cloud over some of this side of the "family story", but there has been so much overcoming and redemption and there's more to come! Such a beautiful bunch of people, a little representation from the different "family branches".

And now I'm tucked into a hotel room while Patrice connects with some of her school friends that now live here in Vancouver.  Jesus and I can just hang out here and process this rather full day, the brevity of life and the value of spending our lives in the pursuit of the One Thing that will matter for all of eternity.