Today was my birthday. It was supposed to be a happy day, with cake, phone calls, funny cards making fun of my age and presents from the family. Instead, we buried my younger brother today.
He had been sick for a while and it looked like he was coming through - but this time he just couldn't pull it off. I should have known when he told my mother a few days before that he heard my voice. Then he saw people on the ceiling. Rather than trying to pour my broken heart out all over again, I'll copy my eulogy to this blog....
Beloved Brother Matthew
You can tell allot by looking at the hands of a man. Matthews hand's were strong yet gentle - reflecting his personality.
When Matthew was young, our father wanted him to wear shorts - and Matty was adamantly opposed. Daddy told him, "Look Matthew, Daddy's wearing shorts". Matthew responded by telling Daddy, "If Daddy wants to look like a fool that's your problem".
With those hands, Matthew was able to transform his passion, working on cars, into a living. From his days at De****is Auto where he learned his trade, he grew to perfect it when he and a friend bought a repair shop, Indian Head Shell. They made it more profitable and sold it. Eventually he found employment at R**p Chevrolet. At R**p he discovered that he was not only a superb mechanic but a great manager as well. While he was Service Manager, R**p Chevrolet received the "GM Mark of Excellence" - an accomplishment Matthew was always proud of.
Matthew was also a gentle guy - the type of brother who was always ready to help - whether you needed your car fixed, needed a loan, advice on an issue or you just wanted to talk. He had an incredible business mind and I would never hesitate to ask his advice on what I should do with any situation at work.
Matthew's humor was also one of his finer points. The people he worked with told me you could never wait to hear what was coming out of Matt's mouth. He once send me a birthday card with a picture of a monkey on it. When I opened it up, he wrote that he could swear this was one of my baby pictures.
December 2002 is a date that will be forever etched in my mind. That was when a doctor's carelessness sent Matthew into physical decline. From then, Matthew tried as hard as he could to heal himself, work his body back into shape as he had done before, but this time it didn't work.
Finally, on March 20th, I received a call from Chris telling me Matthew didn't have much time left. As physical life slipped from Matthew's body - I held those hands. No longer were they strong and warm, but now cool and weak with a bluish color. Christopher and I held his hands for as long as we could - finally turning him over to Jesus. From that day forward, there will always be a "Matty" shaped hole in our hearts.
The book of Matthew's life has been closed. The final chapter has been written. Yet as we look on the body that once housed Matthew, I don't see the end, but the beginning of a beautiful promise.
In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve that the day they eat the fruit of the knowledge of Good and Evil, they shall surely die. Once the fruit was eaten, into this world came corruption, sickness and death. Mankind was separated from God. Yet because of the redemptive work on the cross, Jesus bought salvation to mankind for those who believe.
As the sun rises, I can assure you the grave is not the end. Jesus tells us much about heaven .
John 14:2 - 3
There are many rooms in my Father's house. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going away to prepare a place for you? And if I am going away to prepare a place for you, I will come back again and welcome you into my presence, so that you may be where I am.
Rev 7:16 -17:
16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun
will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he
will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every
tear from their eyes
Rev 21:4
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away
Martin Luther King said it the best - Free, free, I am free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
3 comments:
I’m sorry for your loss. My brother passed away two years ago in March and my father just passed away last month. So I know what you are going through.
this was a beautiful post, I am sorry for your loss...
And wondering how your doing? Hope you and your wife and boy are all well.
Thank you for your kind words. It's been difficult, at best. My son took it hard because my brother and my son were very close. I had to tell him that Uncle Matt is home with Jesus.
What I didn't at the writing of this post was this: My brother was in a coma for about a month a short time before he died. When he woke up, he looked at my other brother and told him, "Did you know Jesus died for our sins?" Those words are more beautiful than any song ever written :)
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