A couple weeks ago my aunt Georgia passed away. She was 90 years old and lived in Wyoming on several acres still living life to the fullest. My uncle passed away 27 years ago so she had been a widow since then. She was my dad's sister and the oldest of 9 kids with her being the only girl. She lived a life that if you told most people they wouldn't believe it.
She was raised in the depression era in a large family. My grandparents had nearly nothing and raised their kids in a small cabin my grandpa built on land they squated on. No indoor plumbing, no electricity, none of the comforts we all enjoy today. Even hearing the stories of growing up my dad and uncles tell and seeing pictures it's still hard for me to imagine growing up like that. That was just the generation before me and it's hard to believe how much things have changed since that time. Not just for me but for all of my uncles and my aunt.
As I sat there and listened to the pastor tell the story of my aunt's life I certainly felt a sense of loss and sadness for the family she left behind. But what I felt more was a measure of joy that she'd lived a great life and impacted those people around her in a positve way. I can't picture her any other way than with a smile on her face. The other thing I remember about her was selflessness. She had 6 kids, 5 boys and 1 girl. Her daughter was born with a severe handicap and up until about a year ago my aunt took care of her by herself. I've heard my dad and several of my uncles say she was like a mother to them. Why? Because she took care of them. She impacted those around her in a very relational and meaningful way.
A few days after returning from Wyoming I was sitting in a restaurant with my family and saw the news on the wall mounted TV that Steve Jobs had died. I felt sadness for his family and for their loss. He also impacted people but in a different way. He did it through the products Apple developed. I've seen all sorts of tributes but these were not people he impacted in a personal and relational way. I felt a sadness for his family and those close to him. I felt no sense of joy though. My thoughts immediately went to the billions he'd amassed and now for him it was just gone. As they say you can't take it [wealth] with you.
As I thought about both deaths the contrast between their lives was obvious. I knew immediately why I had a sense of joy when thinking about my aunt and a sense of sorrow when thinking about Jobs. I had joy when thinking about my aunt because I can feel confident in her eternity. The pastor said at the age of 13 she accepted Jesus as her savior. I don't know how or who she was with but there it was plain and clear. Jesus promises we'll know God and see heaven through him and only him and she's there now waiting for those of us that are Jesus followers. My joy is knowing I'll see her again when I join her in heaven.
The lack of joy and my sorrow for Steve Jobs and his family is because of the uncertainity of where his eternal resting place is. From everything I've ever read about Jobs he was zen Buddhist which is an atheistic believe system. Now I'm not going to say where Jobs is at right now because God is the judge of our hearts. He may very well have accepted Jesus at some point before he died and I may get to met him in heaven.
My point isn't 'Jobs is in hell', so don't let that be the take away. I liked the guy too and own an Apple product or two myself. My point is I don't know and it makes me sad. However, I have good certainty where my aunt is and in that case I feel joy. My family knows I'm a Jesus follower and when I die they can have certainty of where I'm at and how they can join me when they die. I'm glad my family and friends can have that same sense of joy that I have for my aunt Georgia and those she left behind. I'm even more thankful they won't have any sense of doubt about what's happened to me like I have about Jobs. I'm not sure if you'll get to meet Steve Jobs if you follow Jesus but I know you'll get to meet my aunt Georgia. Meeting my aunt Georgia is a good thing.
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