Together one day

3:55 p.m. Today's project was to join the body of believers at Calvary Chapel Moreno Valley to say goodbye to John Ladd, a stalwart and steadfast servant in our church.

After an appointment with my hairdresser's for a shape-up, I drove out to Moreno Beach Drive in the light rain. Although there is certainly no more sadness for John, the dreary dark day suited the mood I was in. I couldn't help but think about other memorials I'd attended in the last year, one a baby a little over one week old with massive birth defects, a beloved middle-aged wife and mother taken away shortly after an illness. And John was only two years older than I am when he suddenly died of a heart attack last week!

Both life and death are in God's hands, a fact that gives believers in Christ great comfort. We also tend to ponder the apostle's exhortation in 2 Peter 1:10, "be diligent to make your call and election sure." John's widow and children are definitely sure that John was born again, loved and served the Lord and others with all his heart, much as they feel his absence. Debi, John's wife, went with her husband as an ambulance took him away; she left the hospital a widow.

Several reminisces were shared with the large congregation, of a man who took the time to coach and love a neighborhhod boy whose home had fallen apart; the diligence John practiced to set up their chairs, pray for, and greet the men at Tuesday night's men's Bible study. Hilarious pictures were shown and stories were told that gave us all a picture of a fun-loving dad, grandpa, and dedicated friend. We were reminded that the Christian life, though a privileged one for those who serve, is not "all work and no play." Good humor and plenty of adventure characterized John for all who were close to him! I wish I had had the chance to know him better.

Why are wonderful believers taken away? Why do the wicked prosper? That question has been asked and still cannot be answered by us mere humans, centuries after David wrote, in

Psalm 73 : 12,13, 16, 17, 27a, 28:

"Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease; they increase in riches. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence...When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me--until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end...for indeed, those who are far from You shall perish...But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Your works."

Additionally, Isaiah 57: 1b-2 says, "Merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil; he shall enter into peace..." We are marvelously comforted by scripture, and daily praise God for His Word, but we still have no answer to the ultimate question of why good people are taken from us--only God does.

Mercy Me has a song with these lyrics: "In the blink of an eye, that is when I'll be closer to You than I've ever been. Time will fly, but until then, I'll embrace every moment I'm given. It's the reason I'm alive, for the blink of an eye."

John Ladd embraced every moment he was given, to the glory of God.