"Because Of Him"

  I've spent the last week traveling to a funeral of my uncle. What made this journey to pay my respects so unique was the nature of our family. We aren't any different than other families. We do have a unique situation with my kin.  I have two sets of double cousins. One on my mother's side and one on my dad's side. We all grew up within a few miles of one another and spent a lot of time with each other. This is the first, with more to come in the near future, that death has touched this close-knit part of our family.

  It didn't take long when we got together that the reminders came out. Each cousin were quick to remind me of my 'meanness' growing up. Stories were told, laughs were abundant but I kept seeing something missing. TRUTH! They had bits and pieces of things that had happened but left out was critical truth in certain situations. I did get to set some of that straight! No doubt I was a rounder in my younger years but as the children of my cousins would come up to me and tell me they had heard stories and wanted to meet me. One of my younger kin said he wanted to meet me to see if I was still the same! I asked him the same as what? He simply said the same as he had heard. I guess he was waiting on me to hit him in the head with a rock, or smash an egg on him, throw a dirt clod and hit him in the mouth or shoot him with a roman candle, or catch his hair on fire!! I don't know but it was funny to see and hear. I had one of my cousins children said I was "infamous." I shrugged my shoulders, smiled and thought..."Infamous, wow, that's more than famous!!!!"

  I guess as I write and reflect on my life, one thing became rather clear. Mercy! Grace! Truth! I cannot begin to thank the Lord for those three elements of His nature. No one needed mercy like me. Grace was extended to me because I simply could not have made it today without His grace reaching me. Grace brought salvation and instructed my life (Titus 2:11-12). Truth was the only way I would find my way out of spiritual darkness. Truth is the only way one can continue to stand in a right relationship with the Lord.

  I was so thankful to be able to go and take my parents to say goodbye to their brother/brother-in-law. I learned so much as painful as some of it was. But I can smile today because I was shown mercy. It doesn't take long to reflect on your past and be humbled by your present knowing, it wasn't you! It was HIM, the Lord Jesus Christ. I must say, all my kin doesn't really know what to do with me today. I'm not sure I don't either. All I can say because of HIM is thank you!