A week ago Sunday, Gary and Karen Hobbie sat in their familiar pew at worship service, like they have for decades. On Monday, I saw the back of Gary’s head, talking in a banker’s office, when I visited our local bank. Gary and Karen, who are moving through their 80s, played cards with friends on Wednesday evening, before returning to their senior-living apartment.

When Karen attempted to wake Gary up before going to bed, she couldn’t wake him. Pulled the emergency pull cord. Medical people arrived to help her and Gary.
Gary had passed away!

What a shock wave began to pass through our church family and community!

We don’t like parting with people we love. We want them to live a long, long time. If we had our way, friends and relatives would live forever!

Same plan God has for all of us! He wants us to live forever. He couldn’t stand the thought of people He loves to live without Him. So He made a plan.

“For God loved the world (Gary) so much that He gave His only Son that anyone (Gary and the rest of us) who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

We don’t have to say ‘good-bye’ to Gary this weekend at his services. Instead, we will just say, “See you later!”

How about the rest of us? Have we made our reservations??

All we have to do is ask God, to spend eternity with Him! That’s what Love looks like! And eternity doesn’t have to start at our deaths. It starts when we ask Him to spend forever with Him. Day by day!

What a plan!!