A Lifetime Of One Day
Sermon
Life Everlasting
The Essential Book of Funeral Resources
Object:
For a day-old, premature infant girl
A Lifetime Of One Day
Romans 8:38-39
Sunday I stood dressed in a hospital gown at Children's Hospital. I had come to baptize your daughter, Shannon Amy. I placed my fingertips, wet with water, gently and tenderly on her tiny, warm forehead. During that moment of baptism, I could feel the tears. Her tiny, two-pound form became blurred by the mist in my eyes. Such a frail, young life. Such a beautiful child of God. And I thought I could detect a little of her mother's red hair. Shannon stirred, just a little, as I pronounced the blessing.
For a moment I stood silently. As I gazed through blurred eyes at Shannon, I wondered. I wondered what life would bring her way. I wondered what would become of this infant. What, in years to come, would make her cry and laugh? How would she feel about God -- about life?
Later that same afternoon, Shannon's life brought us together as a family. She united us: her parents and both sets of grandparents. She united us in a hospital room to pray for God's help. To ask for God's peace ... for our joy was now mixed with some anxiety and dread about what the future would bring.
Then, suddenly, one day had become a lifetime. And for whatever the reason, God, in his wisdom, gave Shannon Amy a lifetime of one day. Yet, honestly, when an infant is given but a day of life -- no easy words comfort us.
Our only hope, I believe, comes from those timeless promises of God! One such message of hope was spoken by Jesus: "It is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish" (Matthew 18:14). I believe that!
Also, I believe we receive comfort from the promise contained in Shannon's baptism. In that sacramental moment, God was present, reminding us that Shannon and each of us is his child. God would care for Shannon because he loved her. Because of the love given us in Christ, Shannon, through her baptism, became a child of God ... without any merit on her part.
Also in baptism, God reminds us that it is not how long a person lives that matters. Rather, it is for what a person lives. Every life has a purpose.
Shannon's lifetime of one day had a purpose.
I would suggest that through Shannon's baptism, God once again reminded us that we are his, because of our baptism. Each of us is indeed a child of God. Because of the mark of baptism on her frail forehead, Shannon lived her lifetime of one day as God's! Perhaps, then, this tiny angel's purpose was to remind us of our baptism and that we, too, are God's ... and that we need to discover in our individual lives what we are living for.
Perhaps, too, this tiny angel's purpose was to remind us that we must live life one day at a time ... one day at a time, with God. For just as Shannon's life was sacred to God, so, too, is the life he has given to us. How will you live this one day for God?
But equally important, Shannon's life and baptism are a reminder to us that nothing can separate us from God. Shall a lifetime of one day separate us from God's love? Shall our heartache and sorrow as we stand at this graveside? No! "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor governments, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!" (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing shall separate Shannon from the love of God poured out richly to her at that moment of baptism!
May these promises give us hope. Now. Forever. Amen.
Let us pray. O God, we pray for your help to accept what we cannot understand. We pray for your help in understanding what we find hard to accept. And in the quiet of this summer afternoon, sustain us in the hope of Easter. Grant to Shannon a new beginning with you ... where your peace reigns and where there is no more sorrow. Prod us in the fresh discovery that it is for you that we live ... one day at a time. And now confident of your compassion, we commend ourselves to your care, until we, with Shannon Amy, share wholeness and newness of life in the kingdom to come. Amen.
-- Victor A. Myers
(Reprinted from "I'll Give You A Daisy A Day," CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio 45804, © 1978.)
A Lifetime Of One Day
Romans 8:38-39
Sunday I stood dressed in a hospital gown at Children's Hospital. I had come to baptize your daughter, Shannon Amy. I placed my fingertips, wet with water, gently and tenderly on her tiny, warm forehead. During that moment of baptism, I could feel the tears. Her tiny, two-pound form became blurred by the mist in my eyes. Such a frail, young life. Such a beautiful child of God. And I thought I could detect a little of her mother's red hair. Shannon stirred, just a little, as I pronounced the blessing.
For a moment I stood silently. As I gazed through blurred eyes at Shannon, I wondered. I wondered what life would bring her way. I wondered what would become of this infant. What, in years to come, would make her cry and laugh? How would she feel about God -- about life?
Later that same afternoon, Shannon's life brought us together as a family. She united us: her parents and both sets of grandparents. She united us in a hospital room to pray for God's help. To ask for God's peace ... for our joy was now mixed with some anxiety and dread about what the future would bring.
Then, suddenly, one day had become a lifetime. And for whatever the reason, God, in his wisdom, gave Shannon Amy a lifetime of one day. Yet, honestly, when an infant is given but a day of life -- no easy words comfort us.
Our only hope, I believe, comes from those timeless promises of God! One such message of hope was spoken by Jesus: "It is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish" (Matthew 18:14). I believe that!
Also, I believe we receive comfort from the promise contained in Shannon's baptism. In that sacramental moment, God was present, reminding us that Shannon and each of us is his child. God would care for Shannon because he loved her. Because of the love given us in Christ, Shannon, through her baptism, became a child of God ... without any merit on her part.
Also in baptism, God reminds us that it is not how long a person lives that matters. Rather, it is for what a person lives. Every life has a purpose.
Shannon's lifetime of one day had a purpose.
I would suggest that through Shannon's baptism, God once again reminded us that we are his, because of our baptism. Each of us is indeed a child of God. Because of the mark of baptism on her frail forehead, Shannon lived her lifetime of one day as God's! Perhaps, then, this tiny angel's purpose was to remind us of our baptism and that we, too, are God's ... and that we need to discover in our individual lives what we are living for.
Perhaps, too, this tiny angel's purpose was to remind us that we must live life one day at a time ... one day at a time, with God. For just as Shannon's life was sacred to God, so, too, is the life he has given to us. How will you live this one day for God?
But equally important, Shannon's life and baptism are a reminder to us that nothing can separate us from God. Shall a lifetime of one day separate us from God's love? Shall our heartache and sorrow as we stand at this graveside? No! "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor governments, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!" (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing shall separate Shannon from the love of God poured out richly to her at that moment of baptism!
May these promises give us hope. Now. Forever. Amen.
Let us pray. O God, we pray for your help to accept what we cannot understand. We pray for your help in understanding what we find hard to accept. And in the quiet of this summer afternoon, sustain us in the hope of Easter. Grant to Shannon a new beginning with you ... where your peace reigns and where there is no more sorrow. Prod us in the fresh discovery that it is for you that we live ... one day at a time. And now confident of your compassion, we commend ourselves to your care, until we, with Shannon Amy, share wholeness and newness of life in the kingdom to come. Amen.
-- Victor A. Myers
(Reprinted from "I'll Give You A Daisy A Day," CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio 45804, © 1978.)
