Just a few thoughts as we approach 2012.
When I lived in Mississippi, every year for my birthday, my dear friend
Frank Emerson, would take me to Creshale’s Restaurant. It is an extremely
old building with the original antique furnishings. We would order seafood
and steaks, and all the staff and patrons would sing ‘Hail, Hail, the
Gang’s All Here” for my birthday. It made for some wonderful memories.
A few years ago I looked up the origins of that song, and it has given
it much more significance for me. The song was used as a Fighting Song
sung by the infantry in World War I. Moving from one battle to the next ,
the surviving troops would sing.
“Hail, hail, the gang’s all here”
“Not a single dead one, every one a live one”
“Hail hail the gang’s all here”
“Aren’t you glad that you’re still here?”
Sometimes if they had lost comrades they would sing , “Why the hell
are WE still here?"
In updating my addresses, I found an address book from 2002. I was
amazed at how many dear friends had died in that time. I wondered,
“Why am I still here?” We have lost many, many dear ones, just this
past year. Why, then, am I still here?
This year I lost my Daddy. A wonderful man. There has never been
anyone like him. A heart of love and honesty sometime to a fault.
His favorite Bible verse was Psalm 41.1 'Blessed is he that remembers
the poor" We lost our great nephew Dusty just this last week. A little
4 year old angel. He used to say, I'm Dusty, and I am awesome".
Indeed he was.
A friend of mine , Fr David Trosch, of Mobile , Alabama once said
to me, “God in his justice, will not allow anyone to die, until
their final relationship with Him is settled“. The reason we
are still here is simple. God is still working on us, and has a
purpose for us. Some people’s journey is done. They have fought the
good fight, they have finished the race. But we have not. The events
of the last few weeks have been so hard for those of us "still here".
But, in the midst of the tragedy, something amazing happened. Our
family drew extremely close to one another. We prayed as hard as we
ever have, we held each other close and told each other we love each
other like we never have before.
Paul said, in Philippians 1.23ff “I desire to depart and be with Christ…
but it is more necessary for you that I remain” Paul realized that he was
“still here’ for a purpose: To reach out, to be a friend, to be a brother,
to reconcile enemies, to make reparation for his past life. Jesus was
very clear, if we do not forgive others, we are not forgiven. And the
way we judge others is how we will be judged. We are still here. As we
have seen this year, this life is short and none of us have tomorrow
promised. We must determine that before we make our final journey to
the next world., that we endeavor to "still be here" for one another
and spread as much love in this world as we can.
So, the smoke will soon clear on 2011. Some of us are gone, but
some of us are still here. Why?It is a gift from God. A new day
to love him and trust in Him. A new day to care for the hurting,
the lonely, the abandoned. A new day to repair broken relationships
and leave grudges behind. A new day to pray for and make up to
others, whenever possible the wrong we may have done.
Today is a new day, to hear His voice, to receive his forgiveness and mercy. One cannot receive the gracious, forgiveness of God, purchased for us by the blood of His Son, and quickly be mean to other people!
In conclusion: Be thankful, love God. And as James Taylor said, “Shower the people you love with love. Tell them the way that you feel.” Aren’t you glad that you’re still here? In fact that is why you are "still here".
Jack
