There are times in the existence of all families that things get rocky. Something is said, or something is heard the wrong way and BOOM...an over-anxious answer leads to anger, anger breeds resentment, resentment leads to years of awkward Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas get-togethers in silence. The family unit is easily unraveled by just a few words. "A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up strife." (Proverbs 15:1)
However, there is one time in which a family comes together, and all the crud melts away: at the funeral home. Whether for show, or for the one lying in the casket, or for the true sake of the family...brothers and sisters that have been dead to each other for years, suddenly come alive. Relationships that have laid dormant, waiting for a ray of love to shine through, finally start to germinate and grow. Shoulders that were cold and harsh transform into places to lean on and find compassion.
The opportunity that a death affords a wayward and estranged family is much like the opportunity that we, as Christians have: we can be made alive from death through Christ (Ephesians 2:5), or remain lifeless in our trespasses. And it's a decision that makes all the difference in the world.
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