I know that feeling all too well, as do many others. Life is "normal" for awhile, then along comes another blip. With the loss of yet another good person, it causes one to reflect on the whole picture. It gives me another push not to put off "must do's", acts of kindness, and other life-altering things until "another day", because that day may not come. I do not intend for this to be maudlin. My church, Prescott First Church of the Nazarene, lost one of it's pillars, Pastor Ed McDonald, on Jan. 2, 2011. My Ben used to tell Ed that he was a "Cadillac Preacher", not a Chevy, not a Ford, but a Cadillac. Not so many days ago, Pastor Ed told me that story again. It seemed to have really stuck with him. He laughed and had that ever-present smile on his face. I hadn't seen Ed in awhile, which makes that last visit with him even more valuable. On my journey to reacquaint myself with the Lord, Pastor Ed gave it his best shot, but it honestly hadn't manifested itself until the loss of Ben and my mother happening so close together. But with each new loss, it becomes easier to see where we're going . . . or at least where we'd better be going! My heart goes out to Ed's dear wife Anne. When the service is over, and friends and family go home, we are left to enter a new and strange space, sometimes a difficult one to traverse. But, with wisdom, courage, and support, the loss begins to lose it's controlling power. I have been fortunate in gaining an inner strength, and although Ben is not physically present, his lessons live on in me in spite of my still-tender vulnerabilities.
May all those who have gone before, rest in eternal peace knowing that we who are left on Earth will be okay.
The "Cadillac Preacher"
"In life, as in death, we draw our power from the same source"
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