February 07, 2008

Glorious Send Off

During the worship time at the Writing for the Soul conference in Colorado Springs there was a medical emergency. Right below the stage at the front of the banquet hall a middle aged woman collapsed while we were worshiping in song. From my vantage point I could see six paramedics hurrying past my table and disappearing below the crowd as they treated the patient. Without missing a beat the worship leader respectfully changed the selection to a quieter and more appropriate song for the situation and we kept on singing. Thankfully we weren’t right in the middle of ‘When we all get to heaven…’ As we were singing and silently praying, I couldn’t help thinking, ‘if she doesn’t make it, what a way to go’. Can you imagine being ushered from this life while being surrounded by a 500 member interdenominational choir…and then being welcomed into heaven by a chorus of angels? I’m happy to report that our sister in Christ is still with us…but she’ll never again have another send off like that one!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Gail;
----During my Pentecostal days, they used to talk about being slain in the Spirit. Maybe this is what they were referring to. A similar thought crossed my mind a few years ago, but the departures and arrivals, I am sure, were quite different! The realization quickly came to me on the morning of September 11 that those hijacker/pilots would momentarily experience in this life what they would instantly step into afterward. Major difference from 70 virgins they had planned to receive, I am sure, unless they were expecting to have theirs on toast. But then, I suppose the truth of that matter all depends upon the literalness of the story of Lazarus and the rich man. (Luke 16:19-31).