It’s been a difficult time at the Larsen household this month. Wanda’s mother was already in hospice care for several months. The day after Ash Wednesday, we got the call that her vital signs were crashing. Wanda left work immediately and headed for the Cleveland area to be there with her mother and extended family. I stayed behind to tend to a few things and then left the next morning to join her. The final days were particularly hard on everyone and in the midst of them, I had to come back to Maryland to deal with my father, who had been in a serious automobile accident.
It is often in times of great crisis that we see the body of Christ at work. I am grateful that Rev. Ken Humbert offered to preach for me one Sunday and Rev. Shannon Sullivan took on all the pastoral duties that came up that week and the following. My wife and I appreciated the prayers, the cards and the acts of kindness offered by so many friends and members of Calvary United Methodist Church. In the times of sorrow and loss, we did not feel so alone.
The Apostle Paul wrote that we who believe will grieve, but not at those who have no hope. We are grateful to God for the ways in which our loved ones have shaped up and shared with us. Their death leaves a hole behind. But we also are aware that death does not have the final word and that nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. We look forward to the news of Easter especially this year.
Pastor Steve Larsen