This last week I lost a dear friend. More than a friend, he had become family to us. His name was Sonny Cameron and he was the dearest, most cantankerous man I have ever known. We met him through our business and built some beautiful cars for him. He had wonderful taste in automobiles.
We had come to know and love him over the years and saw him through many an illness. His family lived out of state, so we tried to help any way we could when he needed to go to doctors or was in the hospital. We spent many hours in prayer for him; we were selfish and did not want to let him go. We had the privilege of sharing Jesus with him and know that he is now in heaven.
He suffered quite a lot, especially the last year. He was a trooper though. We were blessed to be able to take two of his cars to a Good Guys car show in Scottsdale and his family brought him to enjoy the limelight. What a wonderful weekend that was. But even in the joy of that time, he was in pain. He had trouble breathing, walking any distance and generally just getting around. But he sure enjoyed his time there with his daughters.
About a week or two ago we knew that his time was coming to an end here on this earth. I was praying for him and for his family. As I prayed I thought of my parents who have already gone on to heaven. I thought about what it must be like for them now. No suffering. No pain. No fear or anger. The phrase the Lord gave me was 'care free'.
I pondered on that and realized that I had never seen my parents care free. From my earliest memories I could not remember them ever completely happy. There was always something going on. My dad as a homicide detective saw horrific things and that affected him deeply. My mom had problems that I never realized until later in life. They tried to counteract that by drinking; that was their 'care free'. They were never totally at peace, filled with joy and probably never felt completely and unconditionally loved.
That is they weren't until the day they passed from this life into eternal life with Jesus. I know for a fact that both my parents when they died had a relationship with Jesus. My mom's was such a quiet gracious faith. She was such a dear woman in the later years. Kind, giving, goofy. She loved God, loved her church family. My dad never expressed his faith, but I received the assurance of the Holy Spirit when my dad died that he was indeed on his way to heaven. I cannot express the joy I felt and still feel knowing that they are indeed at peace now, that they are truly care free.
What is amazing to me is that there are no time constraints on receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour. You don't have to be a wide eyed child or someone totally innocent and sin free. You can be a jaded reprobate for all the difference it makes to the Lord; He just wants you to say 'Yes'. Yes to His offer of salvation that He bought for us on the cross. By dying for our sins, He gave us the beautiful gift of salvation that we only have to say yes to. He wants us to believe in Him and receive that gift and then walk in the faith that comes with it.
That is what my mom did. What my dad did. What my friend Sonny did. They chose to accept that free gift and with that gift came the promise of eternity with Him in heaven after life here on earth ends.
I try to picture what they are doing now. My mom is probably sitting under a tree on a big patch of grass, filled with wonder at all the beauty that is surrounding her. My dad is probably playing golf, or gardening up there. He tried so hard to grow in that hard Lake Havasu soil all those years and I can imagine he is amazed at what is growing now. And Sonny, he is pain free. He is happy and probably singing his own song. I heard the song his daughter recorded that he sang about one more ride on his Harley! Now he is singing with the angels.
I am so grateful for having had those three amazing people in my life. And I am grateful that because of my relationship with Jesus, I will see them again. I am so thankful to my parents for bringing me into this world and loving me to the best of their ability. I am grateful for having known Sonny; he was a generous loving man who told it like it is. Or should I say, he said, "It is what it is"! That was his favorite saying.
Yes, Sonny, it is what it is. Now it is an eternity of peace, joy and the presence of our Lord. Now it is a time of endless thanks for all He has done for you. It is a continuous time of laughter and delight at all that is around you. Now it is a time for you to enjoy every good and perfect thing that God has surrounded you with. All this is yours Sonny because you accepted that free gift of salvation.
A free gift to take you to a care free home...
Oh I miss you! But I will see you again soon! And I know you joyfully await the time when you are reunited with all those you love too. When we will spend a care free eternity with you and Jesus.
We had come to know and love him over the years and saw him through many an illness. His family lived out of state, so we tried to help any way we could when he needed to go to doctors or was in the hospital. We spent many hours in prayer for him; we were selfish and did not want to let him go. We had the privilege of sharing Jesus with him and know that he is now in heaven.
He suffered quite a lot, especially the last year. He was a trooper though. We were blessed to be able to take two of his cars to a Good Guys car show in Scottsdale and his family brought him to enjoy the limelight. What a wonderful weekend that was. But even in the joy of that time, he was in pain. He had trouble breathing, walking any distance and generally just getting around. But he sure enjoyed his time there with his daughters.
About a week or two ago we knew that his time was coming to an end here on this earth. I was praying for him and for his family. As I prayed I thought of my parents who have already gone on to heaven. I thought about what it must be like for them now. No suffering. No pain. No fear or anger. The phrase the Lord gave me was 'care free'.
I pondered on that and realized that I had never seen my parents care free. From my earliest memories I could not remember them ever completely happy. There was always something going on. My dad as a homicide detective saw horrific things and that affected him deeply. My mom had problems that I never realized until later in life. They tried to counteract that by drinking; that was their 'care free'. They were never totally at peace, filled with joy and probably never felt completely and unconditionally loved.
That is they weren't until the day they passed from this life into eternal life with Jesus. I know for a fact that both my parents when they died had a relationship with Jesus. My mom's was such a quiet gracious faith. She was such a dear woman in the later years. Kind, giving, goofy. She loved God, loved her church family. My dad never expressed his faith, but I received the assurance of the Holy Spirit when my dad died that he was indeed on his way to heaven. I cannot express the joy I felt and still feel knowing that they are indeed at peace now, that they are truly care free.
What is amazing to me is that there are no time constraints on receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour. You don't have to be a wide eyed child or someone totally innocent and sin free. You can be a jaded reprobate for all the difference it makes to the Lord; He just wants you to say 'Yes'. Yes to His offer of salvation that He bought for us on the cross. By dying for our sins, He gave us the beautiful gift of salvation that we only have to say yes to. He wants us to believe in Him and receive that gift and then walk in the faith that comes with it.
That is what my mom did. What my dad did. What my friend Sonny did. They chose to accept that free gift and with that gift came the promise of eternity with Him in heaven after life here on earth ends.
I try to picture what they are doing now. My mom is probably sitting under a tree on a big patch of grass, filled with wonder at all the beauty that is surrounding her. My dad is probably playing golf, or gardening up there. He tried so hard to grow in that hard Lake Havasu soil all those years and I can imagine he is amazed at what is growing now. And Sonny, he is pain free. He is happy and probably singing his own song. I heard the song his daughter recorded that he sang about one more ride on his Harley! Now he is singing with the angels.
I am so grateful for having had those three amazing people in my life. And I am grateful that because of my relationship with Jesus, I will see them again. I am so thankful to my parents for bringing me into this world and loving me to the best of their ability. I am grateful for having known Sonny; he was a generous loving man who told it like it is. Or should I say, he said, "It is what it is"! That was his favorite saying.
Yes, Sonny, it is what it is. Now it is an eternity of peace, joy and the presence of our Lord. Now it is a time of endless thanks for all He has done for you. It is a continuous time of laughter and delight at all that is around you. Now it is a time for you to enjoy every good and perfect thing that God has surrounded you with. All this is yours Sonny because you accepted that free gift of salvation.
A free gift to take you to a care free home...
Oh I miss you! But I will see you again soon! And I know you joyfully await the time when you are reunited with all those you love too. When we will spend a care free eternity with you and Jesus.