Gettin better all the time...

Today I had the privilege of preaching the funeral service for Alex's grandfather, Howard Priddy.  He was and is a great man of God.  Over the last several years he experienced physical suffering as his body was attacked by Parkinson's.  Though his mind stayed sharp, his body was losing the battle.  Even though he was trapped in a deteriorating body, his joy never diminished.  Even in these final months when someone asked him how he was doing he would always say, 'Getting better all the time.'  From a worldly perspective that would just seem like a foolish thing to say.  After all he couldn't walk on his own, his hearing had faded, his vision was blurry, and he began losing the ability to swallow...getting better all the time?  Yes.  The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 'Therefore, we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For these are light and momentary troubles compared to the eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  Therefore we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.'  

Now Howard is in Jesus' presence in heaven.  I often find myself wondering what it will be like.  I know that John says there will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, but really, I wonder what it must be like.  At the risk of sounding a bit on the mystical side, though Howard is no longer living physically, I wish I could ask him one question.  I would be tempted to ask him, 'What is it like?', but instead I would simply ask, 'Howard, how you doing?'

I suppose I know what he would say...

Getting better all the time.