From the Cobwebs: Why Evvie Understood

 May 2007

I've been "reading" a book on CD at work. During one little portion of it, a minor character dies. The death is a natural one and even the circumstances surrounding it are ones which you'd expect. The elderly man, Ralph, is surrounded by people. Evvie, his elderly girlfriend, is by his side. Her neighbors are there with her, by her side as she experiences this very hard situation. Just before Ralph dies, Evvie says words to him which are similar to the ones I said to my own mother (it's okay, Mother; you can go. We love you, but you don't need to stay) as she lie in a hospital bed dying 4 ½ years ago. Ralph responds to her with words of love and affection, spoken in Italian, just moments before he passes through the veil. Immediately Evvie, who is a Christian, and, as might be expected of someone who understands the eternal nature of our beings, gives thanks to God. For what? It didn't really say in the story, but we who understand can probably guess. Thanks for the time she had with him. Thanks for a peaceful and painless death he experienced. Whatever the reason, Evvie thanked God. It is just a few moments later than one of the two main characters, Rese—short for Theresa—considers this fact in her mind. She doesn't understand why Evvie would thank God after Ralph's death. Why would someone thank the person who had caused her such pain? Why would someone thank the person who took away the person she loved? It just didn't make sense to Rese.

As I listened to her words on the CD, I understood why she thought those things. In this modern day, very few people in our world are taught to understand the simple rules of God. Why would she not think it insane to thank God in that particular situation? Perhaps the simplicity of God and the unique nature of His church had never been explained to her. Her disbelief in their gratitude was justifiable, to her, because she'd been taught that there is NO God. You're born. You die. You're dirt. That's it. The end. No one taught her to see God in the skies or the breeze or the sun or a tall leafy beech tree. No one had told her that the intricate design of our eyes, a perfect camera, proved His existence long before the first shutter ever clicked or whirred. He is here. He is alive, even if your heart is shut and you can't see Him.

It seems it can only be those of us who understand God's ultimate purpose who will truly give thanks for all the parts of our lives, even the hard parts, like when a loved one leaves us. God has a purpose which transcends this finite, earthly life; and while we can feel some sorrow for ourselves when our godly loved one dies, there would never be a need to feel sorrow for them because they are in a better place. I think it's kinda nice to know that this one you love, who is now gone, is someplace where they can never feel sorrow; never feel pain, and never need cry again. All that they experience from the moment they take their last breath onward is wonderful, beautiful, unburdened and perfect. That is something to which we can look forward, yeah?