Gone Too Soon

Last Monday, as usual, I was fellowshipping with the serving ones in the distribution. We started praying together at about 4:00 pm till 4:30 pm. Then, we read a chapter from Hebrew 13, followed by practical fellowship on distribution in different parts of India. I also released my burden related to the distribution and our need to serve faithfully and fruitfully. The fellowship went on till about 5:10 pm. Then, at about 5:30 pm I received a call from a brother informing me that a brother with whom I just prayed and fellowshipped with went to be with the Lord. This brother was one among us who serves in the literature service. I was shocked and surprised and could not believe my ears initially. I did further investigation and found out that he actually passed away due to heart attack while we were still in fellowshipped online via WhatsApp group.

Later, upon further fellowship and consideration, I decided to attend the funeral meeting the next day, Tuesday. Meanwhile, another brother had already come to Gurugram to coordinate with me to go to Uttar Pradesh for the distribution. Somehow, it got postpone due to the key local brother's examination that has been postponed. Then, we planned to go to Madhya Pradesh, that too got postpone due to short notice for practical arrangement. Finally, this news of a brother gone too soon reached me and I needed to go to Chennai.

Yesterday I came to Chenni and went straight to attend this brother's funeral meeting. The brothers gave me an opportunity to testify. I did so with three points on how brother had been useful in producing audio hymns, typesetting the New Testament Recovery Version in Tamil, and how he just released 16 Telugu hymns.

Today, a brother and I visited his family and spent about two hours fellowshipping and testifying of the Lord's faithfulness in taking care of us, His children and serving ones. I gave my own testimonies of the Lord's faithfulness upon me and my family. Then I prayed for the family and the sister especially for the Lord's abounding grace to be upon them. When I requested her to share, I was so encouraged by her testimony. She testified that today morning when she felt so sad, she just turned to the Lord and the Lord shepherded her by the following verse:

Do not let your heart be troubled; believe into God, believe also into Me. John 14:1

This brother who was gone too soon had been suffering from a weak heart and a couple of other medical complications. This serves to me as a positive reminder to take care of my health when the Lord still give me the time. In fact, last night a brother asked a question why a full-time serving one had to go too soon. Well, my feeling was that God is sovereign and, on our side, we must also cooperate with God to take care of our health so that we can live healthily and live long to gain the Lord unto full maturity and be overcomers.