It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way

I saw the car parked on the gravel path.
It was a quick glance out of the corner of my eye.
I was driving and couldn’t turn my head to really look.
The car was parked on the path but there was no one near by.

Then I saw the woman.
She was walking with a purpose.
She was holding something in her hand.
She was stepping carefully as she walked.

One lone car.
One lone woman.
Both were in a cemetery.
Both could easily be seen from the road.

I pass the cemetery all the time when I am driving on this particular road.
There are more tombstones than I can count.
The tombstones are on flat ground and continue up a large hill.
This woman was on the flat ground.

I wondered why she was in the cemetery.
Was it her husband?
Was it one of her parents?
Was it a child?

The things I noticed quickly, I had to put together in my mind.
It must have been flowers in her hand.
She seemed to be careful not to step on other graves.
She walked between the rows, careful not to disturb anything.

I was fifteen when my mother died.
I have only been to the cemetery twice, since 1975.
Once, on the day she was buried.
Another time, at the suggestion of a family member.

The first time was necessary; the other time…
I have memories and stories tucked away that mean far more to me.
I know that others feel much differently about visiting a loved one’s grave.
I respect that.

Old cemeteries are intriguing.
Reading the dates on the tombstones is quite fascinating.
You see those who lived a long life.
You see those who died quite young.

I wondered about this woman.
Did she visit the cemetery often?
Did the loved one die recently?
Was she comforted when she visited the grave?

If I was a painter, I would have painted this woman in the cemetery.
I would have called the painting, Loneliness.
There was something about the scene that made my heart sad.
There was a real sense of, this is not the way it is supposed to be.

Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. (Luke 7:11-17)

This little, obscure story always touches my heart.
It is so tender.
It shows me the compassion of the Lord Jesus.
It reminds me of His power over death.

Imagine the scene.
Jesus and His disciples are walking into the town of Nain.
A grieving mother was coming out of the town gate.
Bearers were carrying a bier, on which lay her dead son.

To make the situation worse, the grieving mother was a widow.
She now lost her only son.
She now has no visible means of support.
She will live in poverty, with no one to care for her.

It’s not supposed to be this way.
Jesus’ heart went out to her.
Jesus touched the bier that was carrying her dead son.
In this first century Jewish culture, touching the bier would have made a person unclean.

Except with Jesus, everything is reversed.
Jesus did not become unclean.
Instead, upon Jesus’ command, the young man became alive again.
It was a radical reversal.

When I saw the woman walking alone in the cemetery, I thought of the widow of Nain.
I thought about how Jesus’ heart went out to this woman as well.
I thought about how, one day, at the end of all things, her loved one will rise again.
One day, all the dead in Christ will hear the command, I say to you, get up!

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21: 4,5)

One day there will be no more cemeteries.
One day there will be no more death.
One day there will be no solitary visits to the grave of a loved one.
One day, He will call: I say to you, get up!

One day…

 

2 responses to “It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way”

1. One day indeed…and it will be a beautiful day at that! Such a beautiful story, Gina, and a great scripture application! So thankful for the day when death will be no more and all things will be made new, just as God promises in his Holy Word!

   Reply

   • Carolyn,
     One day…God promises.
     Gina

     Reply