Life is just too short

This past week I walked along side of two separate families as they said "good-bye" to their loved ones. Seeing a loved one pass away is never easy whether it is expected or unexpected.


I started the week with the Little family.  They gathered at The Creek on Monday morning to celebrate the life of Lynette Little.  Lynette was 45 years old and died after a long battle with brain cancer.  Lynette was blessed with two kids, Matthew and Elliot.  My heart sank as I looked down from the stage to see these boys grieving the loss of their mom. Matthew is ten years old and I cannot imagine his sense of loss.  Lynn's husband Brian spoke at the service and did a wonderful job honoring his wife. There was a one-word from  Lynette concerning the funeral and that was, celebrate.  She wanted her friends and family to celebrate her healing and her new life in heaven.  I had the privilege of baptizing Lynn at church several weeks ago.  We did not realize at the time that her days on this earth were so close to the end.


Two days after Lynn's service, I received the tragic news that John-Clark Huffman had passed.  JC was only twenty-one years old. He played on The Creek softball team this past season and Patty and I sat with his parents, Perry and Jeanie, every game.  He was an avid baseball player and a MCG student.  His death was a total shock.


John-Clark was a seeker in the truest sense of the word.  JC loved people and love to hang out with his friends and family.  John-Clark lived on the edge at times.  He loved to fish and he loved most any sport. As I walked with the family through his untimely death, I found out that JC had a deep desire for God.  This desire sparked spiritual conversations and extended prayer times with his Mom that started three weeks before his death.  JC's dad opened his Bible and found notes that he had taken on July 18, 2010 tucked away.  When I saw his detailed notes of my sermon on Pursing Wisdom, I was blessed.  I did not have to prepare a sermon for his funeral.  I took the notes that were in his Bible and allowed JC's own words to be shared at his funeral.


John-Clark was twenty-one and Lynn Little was forty-five.  Both of them reminded me this week that sometimes "life is just too short."