For Those Who Knew Him

Couldn’t sleep this morning and looking at the time after the thunder rolled, long and loud, and realizing that it was around 4 am…. “I might as well get up” I muttered to husband as he also rolled over after the thunder boom to check on what time it was….

I had been awake for a while, after being aroused from sleep with a dream that lingered, not allowing me to rest again. 

Slipping out of bed and picking up my glasses, phone, housecoat and slipper socks, I lightly padded to the hallway with hopes that he could return to a few more hours of rest. Continuing to the kitchen I turned on the coffee maker before making my way to the comfy chair awaiting me to finish my regular bundling up routine I have for chilly mornings. Usually I sit and work on a rag rug in progress that I always have laying nearby. But this morning I remembered that I didn’t have enough strips ready to begin the next one. So instead I picked up my Bible and pondered on where I wanted to begin reading. It opened to a certain Psalm, but that didn’t seem to be the right starting place. So I went to the New Testament, wanting to encourage myself for the day, having anticipation of possible bad weather for our area according to a forecast given last night. The Holy Spirit said to read some words that Jesus spoke. His words are always perfect lacking nothing. I had already finished the book of John a few days ago. So I went to the book of Luke and began reading.

Early in chapter one was the story of Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth. Gabriel, an angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias telling him to not be afraid because his prayer had been heard and that his wife Elizabeth would bear him a son and that “His name shall be John”…. And so it was…

In Elizabeth’s sixth month the same angel Gabriel was again sent by God to Nazareth to a relative of Elizabeth’s named Mary and told her to not be afraid for she had found favor with God and that she would conceive and bring forth a Son and “You shall call his name Jesus.” Gabriel also told Mary that her relative Elizabeth who had been called barren in her old age, had also conceived a son and was in her sixth month. “For with God nothing will be impossible”…  

In those days, Mary went with haste into the hill country to a city of Judah. She entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting ‘the babe in her womb leaped’ and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 

As I continued reading more of the story of Jesus and John the Baptist, who were cousins, I was reminded in my heart of a couple other cousins. My own son Danny and his cousin Luke. I remembered that these two cousins had Bible names. I asked myself if it was a coincidence that I had actually chosen to read from the book of Luke this morning. My heart answered “no” it was not a coincidence. Neither was it a coincidence that today, the 31st of March, also being the same day many years ago that our Danny and Luke were taken away to a far better place. As I read on about Jesus and his cousin John the Baptist and their ministries, other similarities came to mind about Danny and Luke. With God I know there are no coincidences. I’ve often thought that Danny and Luke’s grandfather Orel and that he sure got a grand birthday gift in heaven that first day of April in 1989. It was not an April fool’s day in heaven. But it may have been a grand April birthday surprise for him! 

Other comparisons dropped into my heart as I continued to read in the Book of Luke this morning, but those I won’t share today. Those were only for me. Often, God speaks to my heart and shows me things as I read His Word. Things just for me. 

But I will share the following. A poem I wrote many years ago in remembrance of another son of a friend of mine. I’m repurposing that poem in remembrance of all our fallen sons. Those sons will always be missed and will never be forgotten by their families and closest friends. And especially not by their mothers. 

I give you now…

For Those Who Knew Him

For those who knew him

No smile will ever be the same.

For those who knew him

His spirit will always remain.

For those who knew him

The memories echo in our mind.

For those who knew him

This young man was one of a kind. 

For those who knew him

Life as it was ended that day.

For those who knew him

We’re sorry he had to go away.

Did I know him?

Only a little - but for a long time.

 I once knew another son

This one was mine!

And for those who knew them

We’ll never forget.

For those who knew them

They are still with us yet.

And this reminds me of another son

Who’ll say “Welcome home - Come on in”

For those who knew Him.