Until Next Time

     Last weekend the world said goodbye to Whitney Houston.  She was taken too soon.

     A talented singer and actress, some might even call her a legend.  Her rendition of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV years ago stands out as one of the best ever.

     Half of the evening newscast on Sunday was about Whitney.  One of the reports came from the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey where she sang in the choir as a girl. As the parishioners left worship on Sunday, one of the comments made was, “She was our ‘American Idol’ before there ever was an ‘American Idol.’”

     Even though Whitney died far from the church where she first sang publicly, her faith as a child still influenced her.  Her last public performance on stage, two days before she died, was an impromptu version of “Yes, Jesus Loves Me.” 

     Saying “Goodbye” to someone we love is always hard.  The lyrics to one pop song put it like this: “I don’t like to say goodbye, so this is my until next time.”  And death’s goodbye is harder.

     The media reported that Whitney’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, was rushed to the hospital twice following her mother’s untimely death.  We can only imagine what she is going through since her mother’s life was so public.

     Death hurts us deeply.  Every other time we say goodbye, we hope to see our loved ones again.  But death is the final goodbye.

     The Bible compares death to a sting.  At first the loss of a loved one can be unbearable.  But with time the pain lessens.  Eventually the heart heals.  Until the next sting.  And the longer you live the more you see death.

     Now, while I miss my dad and mom and others who have passed on, I have a sure hope I will see them again.  For me it wasn’t a final goodbye, it was “Until next time.”

     “OK, hold it right there for just a minute,” you may say.  “Why do Christians always talk about seeing their dead loved ones again?  Isn’t that a little weird?”

     Not if you’re a student of the Bible.

     The Bible teaches that there is life after this life.  But it also says that decisions we make in this life affect our destination in the next. 

     God doesn’t want anyone to be surprised in eternity.  So he tells us the facts of eternal life.

     The Bible says we have eternal souls (the real you inside of you).  It tells us that eternal life is available to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ.  Faith means relying on and believing in him.

     What must you believe?  That you are a sinner separated from a holy God who loves you.  That you need a Savior.  That Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin.  And that if you trust in him, Jesus will save you and take you to Heaven when your time comes.

     The Bible tells us that Heaven and Hell are real places.  Just like New York City or Chicago.

     For the Christ follower, the Bible says, “To be away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord.”  Reincarnation?  No.  With the Lord Jesus Christ.  In Heaven.

     Jesus once told a story that explained how we would one day join those who have died in faith before us.  He said we would recognize others and be able to communicate with them.  So while it’s “Goodbye” now, it is only “Until next time.”

     So while funeral home goodbyes are difficult, for the Christian it is an exercise of confident hope.  Because we know that, one day soon, we will see our loved ones again in Heaven.

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!