Today was a difficult day for friends and family of John Donnelly. This morning, we honored the life of John as he was laid to rest at the Boulder City Cemetery. Friends and family gathered to mourn and remember our fallen brother while sharing loving, emotional, and hysterical stories about John. And, some of the men who knew John best stood before hundreds to express their love and heart felt condolences for him. It was truly an incredible service, one deserving of a man like John.
John was my uncle, and a man that I truly admired. But, in all honesty, I did not know John as well as I would have liked. Out of the Barrow clan, I knew the least. But, that was one of the most amazing things about John...you didn't have to know him well or speak with him long for him to make an impact on you. He definitely made a big impact on me in spite of the limited time we spent together.
Times of loss are difficult. Everyone handles loss differently. Everyone mourns in his/her own way. But, for me, I do not mourn for John. For John is in a better place. John IS a good man. I say "IS" because John now has eternal life. I would never say "WAS" because John is still with us. His untimely passing may have taken his body and mind from us, but his spirit is still with us. He lives with his Father in Heaven now, and the memory of John will never leave us. This is why I do not mourn for John.
And, in the words of J.M. Barrie (Author of Peter Pan), "To die will be an awfully big adventure."
John has begun the next leg of his adventure...and, it is the biggest yet.
The knowledge that I have of Christ, his atonement, and his redeeming sacrifice makes this easier for me. While we don't understand now why John was taken from this Earth, we will one day. Our Heavenly Father has a plan, and his plan was in need of John. For some reason, John was needed in Heaven.
I mourn for this whom lost John. I mourn for Josh, Brenna, Jessica, and Caitie. I mourn for Karen. I mourn for Joe and Rhea. I cannot imagine their feelings. But, when I feel sorrow...I think of John reuniting with Liz in Heaven. I think of him holding his unborn grandchildren. I thinking of Liz and him, smiling together as they hold my boys before they come to Earth on Tuesday. I can picture him sharing some last minute council as my boys sit on his knee. And, for that, I have reason to rejoice.
"While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil."
-John Taylor
Out of times of hardship, a closeness can grow. Strength comes from adversity. And life lessons are taught. While I can never truly express my full love for the Donnelly family, while I can never truly feel their sorrow, and while I can never truly understand why this had to occur...I know that they, as a collective group, are some of the strongest people I know. They will come out of this stronger than before. They will triumph over death, and one day they will be with John again.
Because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice, families can be together forever. The Son of God humbled himself, came to this Earth, suffered and died for all of us. A love like that is hard to fathom...a love that stands the test of time, is unconditional, and is an example to us all.
Today, I witnessed the greatest example of love that I have personally seen in my young life. This experience is difficult to put into words, but I will try.
As the family was preparing for the funeral to begin, we joined together to pay our last respects and share a prayer for John. Roses were passed around as family members shared their final moments with John, sharing their own personal message of love. And, during this time, a moment that I will remember for the rest of my life happened. This is a moment that I will NEVER forget...a moment that brought tears to my eyes. It was a moment that made me love my grandparents and parents more. It was a moment that changed the way I will think of and treat my wife for the rest of my life. It was a moment with "a love like that"...
I cannot do justice to what "that" is. It is something that you have to experience. Tears are already in my eyes...so bear with me.
The first rose was given to John's beautiful mother, my great grandma, Rhea. At 92, Rhea made her way to where he son lay. Tears already in her eyes, she spoke to her son and laid a rose on his chest. There was not a dry eye in the room. As she was coming to a close of her final moments with John, she appeared to break down. As she did, I saw tears fill John's dad's eyes. As quickly as he could, my great grandpa, Joe, made his way to her side. At 94, it may not have been quick, but one could tell he was rushing to be by her side. After 72 years of marriage, Joe still couldn't stand to see his beautiful bride suffering. He took her in his arms, whispered to her (which was quite loud), and held her. In that moment, my heart went from being broken to completely full. In that moment, I learned once again what TRUE LOVE is. In that moment, an unconditional example of love was displayed for everyone in the room. It is something I will never forget. It is something that reminded me of just how great a man Joe is. It is something that reminded me to strive to be a better man. It is an example of how I need to treat my wife.
For 72 plus years and for all eternity, I know Joe will love Rhea...he has, does, and will always "Love Like Crazy".
I am so thankful to have such an amazing example of love in my life. I will make my love for my wife..."A Love Like That"!
Thank you for such a wonderful and inspiring post. As I read your powerful testimony and stories, it brought to mind the strongest memory I have of John. I was a youth and he taught my sunday school class at church for a short time. Although I can't remember the specific things he said, I will never forget what a passion he had for the scriptures. I believe it was the first time as a teenager that the passion someone had in the way they spoke of, quoted from, and sought to enlighten others using the scriptures truly went straight to my soul. I can still remember clearly the way he made me feel some 14 years later, and I thank my Father in Heaven for that example because it planted a seed in my heart that has grown over the years to create in me a love for that same Word of God. Thank you John Donnelly for your wonderful example and instruction, I will forever be indebted to you for it.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
KJ
What a beautiful post! I found myself thinking of my mom and how hard it was to lay her to rest two years ago. It was the most difficult time of my life, but knowing that her spirit is here helping me and that she is now whole, happy and with her sister brings me comfort and peace. Thank you for your words.
ReplyDelete