In late January, Jarrod, a friend of ours, died suddenly. In his mid-40’s, Jarrod left this world behind to come face to face with his Savior. His Japanese wife and three sons are likely still reeling. Please pray for Jarrod’s family.

For us, this was a new experience. Jarrod had made it clear to his wife that he wanted a Christian funeral, as opposed to the Buddhist ones typical of Japan. She called us from the hospital asking how to proceed. Norman had never led a funeral before, so he was out of his element. We also learned that in Japan, funerals are typically held within 24 hours of the person’s death. Chloe and I scrambled to put together special music, and Norman gathered his thoughts on how to address a mostly unbelieving audience. Several members of our church group attended, since Jarrod and his wife occasionally joined our Bible studies. Most likely, it was the first time in that funeral home, that the name of Jesus Christ was named, that the hope of the gospel was mentioned.

As always, funerals remind the rest of us about the purpose of life. Why am I still living? How should I spend my remaining time? What is important in life? Am I ready to die?