A Series of Fortunate Events
It is an honor to be here today to talk to you about my cousin Jonathan, and the times we shared together, especially in the last couple of months.
In order for this all to make sense I believe I must share with you briefly the story of how my life was changed – much like Jonathan’s was when he discovered he had liver cancer.
My life was good, not a concern in the world, that was until my reckless life brought me to the end of my rope. What’s wrong with me, and what can I do to get out of this? These were questions that ran through my head as I tried to fix my life. It was a period where I felt no one on this earth could help me. I needed something bigger than I was. I needed God. I cried out to God to save me, and He did. I’ve been following Christ for almost 13 years now, and He is my life. Much like Jonathan probably saw it in his last few months on earth – For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
I joined the Army in 1996, and I still serve today, which limits the time that I am able to come home and be with family. Usually it’s Thanksgiving and Christmas, and maybe an occasional summer get-away. But when I’d come home I’d try to take opportunities to share what Christ has done in my life, and usually I get a polite nod, a “that’s cool”, or “I’m glad that worked out in your life.” Jonathan kind of gave me the same response, but with an occasional, “hmmm.” Like, “I keep hearing that, but man my life is good now so what do I need Jesus for?”
Then I get a call. Jonathan has a rare form of liver cancer. What? Jonathan would be one of the last people I would think would get cancer. I called Stephanie, and she laid it out for me. Dawn, family, and friends were now organizing a fund-raising event, and I wanted to be there. My Aunt Caroline also told me that Jonathan had a spiritual revelation, and that I should talk to him about it. I was excited and now all the more as I got to talk to him about his spiritual revelation in person. My mission that weekend was to just spend time with Jonathan.
The weekend. My mom dropped me off at Jonathan and Dawn’s condo on Friday, the day before the big fund raising event. He walked out with a big ol’ smile, and with a friendliness that always welcomed a big hug. I loved that about him. His head was shaved now, which actually looked pretty good on him. Alright! I’m here with my cousin now! Now we can talk. We walked into the condo and sat on the couch. He had a million things to tell me, and he was excited. I was too! So we talked for while, and shared tears, tears because we shared a bond - a bond not easily broken. We understood our need for God, and experienced his saving grace. He told me that it took this rare form of liver cancer for him to submit his life to God. He said that he could usually just think his way through a situation, but he couldn’t just think through this one. One sentence that rings out was Jonathan looked at me, tears rolling down his cheek, a small smile; he could barely muster up the strength to get the words out. He said, “I have a peace that I have never had before.” He also told me that he was sharing his faith in God with those he was close to, and who he cared deeply about. He probably felt like he was on a life raft, saved from drowning, and he was trying to pull others on-board with him. The thought that we both agreed upon before we finished the talk was that his situation was WIN/WIN. If he got better he would be a walking witness of what God did in his life, but if he didn’t survive the liver cancer his life would still have been a witness, and that he would be with God that much sooner. This is a cause for celebration! We prayed together, and then headed to eat some sushi, a favorite of Jonathan’s. Afterwards, we hit the road. He was on a mission too, to work with the doctors to get better, and to organize his proposal to Dawn. It was a good weekend, and I’m thankful for his fiancée Dawn, and all of the family and friends that pulled together to help make the event happen.
I talked with him several times after I left CA back to NC. He kept telling me, “Yeah, I’m having my quiet times in the morning. I’m meeting with God.” It was a good feeling to know that He was keeping his eyes focused on God, and reading God’s Word. I didn’t know that that would be the last weekend that I would see Jonathan.
I received a text message early Friday morning with a message that Jonathan had passed away. I was hurt, but I immediately recognized that God had His plans. I thought about what I should do now, and it was the same mission that Jesus gave his disciples before he left. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” I believe that Jonathan sees things more clearly than I’ll ever see here on earth, and I’m sure he’s cheering me on as I attempt to bring others into a relationship with Jesus.
I'll miss Jonathan, but I'll see him when I get there.
In order for this all to make sense I believe I must share with you briefly the story of how my life was changed – much like Jonathan’s was when he discovered he had liver cancer.
My life was good, not a concern in the world, that was until my reckless life brought me to the end of my rope. What’s wrong with me, and what can I do to get out of this? These were questions that ran through my head as I tried to fix my life. It was a period where I felt no one on this earth could help me. I needed something bigger than I was. I needed God. I cried out to God to save me, and He did. I’ve been following Christ for almost 13 years now, and He is my life. Much like Jonathan probably saw it in his last few months on earth – For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
I joined the Army in 1996, and I still serve today, which limits the time that I am able to come home and be with family. Usually it’s Thanksgiving and Christmas, and maybe an occasional summer get-away. But when I’d come home I’d try to take opportunities to share what Christ has done in my life, and usually I get a polite nod, a “that’s cool”, or “I’m glad that worked out in your life.” Jonathan kind of gave me the same response, but with an occasional, “hmmm.” Like, “I keep hearing that, but man my life is good now so what do I need Jesus for?”
Then I get a call. Jonathan has a rare form of liver cancer. What? Jonathan would be one of the last people I would think would get cancer. I called Stephanie, and she laid it out for me. Dawn, family, and friends were now organizing a fund-raising event, and I wanted to be there. My Aunt Caroline also told me that Jonathan had a spiritual revelation, and that I should talk to him about it. I was excited and now all the more as I got to talk to him about his spiritual revelation in person. My mission that weekend was to just spend time with Jonathan.
The weekend. My mom dropped me off at Jonathan and Dawn’s condo on Friday, the day before the big fund raising event. He walked out with a big ol’ smile, and with a friendliness that always welcomed a big hug. I loved that about him. His head was shaved now, which actually looked pretty good on him. Alright! I’m here with my cousin now! Now we can talk. We walked into the condo and sat on the couch. He had a million things to tell me, and he was excited. I was too! So we talked for while, and shared tears, tears because we shared a bond - a bond not easily broken. We understood our need for God, and experienced his saving grace. He told me that it took this rare form of liver cancer for him to submit his life to God. He said that he could usually just think his way through a situation, but he couldn’t just think through this one. One sentence that rings out was Jonathan looked at me, tears rolling down his cheek, a small smile; he could barely muster up the strength to get the words out. He said, “I have a peace that I have never had before.” He also told me that he was sharing his faith in God with those he was close to, and who he cared deeply about. He probably felt like he was on a life raft, saved from drowning, and he was trying to pull others on-board with him. The thought that we both agreed upon before we finished the talk was that his situation was WIN/WIN. If he got better he would be a walking witness of what God did in his life, but if he didn’t survive the liver cancer his life would still have been a witness, and that he would be with God that much sooner. This is a cause for celebration! We prayed together, and then headed to eat some sushi, a favorite of Jonathan’s. Afterwards, we hit the road. He was on a mission too, to work with the doctors to get better, and to organize his proposal to Dawn. It was a good weekend, and I’m thankful for his fiancée Dawn, and all of the family and friends that pulled together to help make the event happen.
I talked with him several times after I left CA back to NC. He kept telling me, “Yeah, I’m having my quiet times in the morning. I’m meeting with God.” It was a good feeling to know that He was keeping his eyes focused on God, and reading God’s Word. I didn’t know that that would be the last weekend that I would see Jonathan.
I received a text message early Friday morning with a message that Jonathan had passed away. I was hurt, but I immediately recognized that God had His plans. I thought about what I should do now, and it was the same mission that Jesus gave his disciples before he left. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” I believe that Jonathan sees things more clearly than I’ll ever see here on earth, and I’m sure he’s cheering me on as I attempt to bring others into a relationship with Jesus.
I'll miss Jonathan, but I'll see him when I get there.