A Life Well-Lived, Part 17; Because He Lives

We finally gathered up all of Timothy’s flight books to donate to the airport. It's sad, but it would be worse for them to gather dust, unused. They are being housed in the planning room at Davis Field Airport if anyone wants to see or borrow them (If you are wanting to start pilot’s lessons, Timothy really enjoyed his first flight instructor, Gary Stevenson. Just ask someone in the terminal how to reach him.).

Before donating the books, I flipped through every single page of every book and notebook, looking for keepsakes. Tucked in one of the flaps, I found the sheet music for “Because He Lives.” Maybe Timothy was practicing it on his guitar for some special church service (“Practice guitar” was on several of his goals lists. ).

I needed to see that song.

“And then one day, I'll cross the river, I'll fight life's final war with pain; And then, as death gives way to victory, I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He reigns!”

Death does not give way to despair, defeat, or depression. Death has to give way to Victory! In fact, as Billy Graham was quoted, "Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God."

Because He Lives I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, All Fear is Gone. Because I know He holds the future, Life is worth the living, Just Because He lives

I needed to see this song. I needed to remember why life is still worth living. Sometimes I forget. I still miss Timothy as much as ever, and I still have trouble believing he's gone! But I have to have a motivation for living that is bigger than my pain. My driving force now is to fulfill God’s purposes for my life in these last few moments of history before the curtain falls. I want to hear, “Well done, faithful servant” and then enjoy eternity in the presence of Jesus, with all my loved ones who are already there. "Come quickly, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20)

Life is worth the living just because He lives.*

I wish I had tucked that song back into the cover of every single one of Timothy’s flight books for someone else to find when they need it…

Maybe I did.

*I do not own the rights to this song.