A woman wrote to me about her very young husband who died suddenly. He loved preaching God’s word; it was an important part of his life’s work. He was only 37 years old when he experienced sudden cardiac death. He had not been sick, exhibiting all the signs of a young, healthy, vibrant person. She had no idea and no preparation for this very hard loss.
A couple of weeks before he died, he told her he thought they ought to be thinking about their funeral arrangements and tending to the details. She laughed and said that would be a good idea in about 20 years. He also spoke very openly about remarriage if one of them should die before the other. It was obvious he had been giving these things some serious thought and although it surely was not a topic currently on her mind, she listened intently. He had mentioned in the past that when his time came he would like to be preaching to his people. When his death came just a short time later, he was ministering, just as he had hoped.
This young husband must have loved his wife very much to speak to her so openly about funeral plans, remarriage and his desire to die while preaching. Sudden death seems to happen in a moment in our eyes, but this is only because it is all we understand. The life review, the new enlightenment and preparation God sends to us at times like this, come from his own very loving and tender heart.
