Last weekend I performed the funeral for one of my former students. He was 21 and out celebrating the completion of his junior year at MSU. The boat he was in hit the wake of another boat and Dustin was thrown overboard. Alcohol played a major role in this tragedy. As of today, he still has not been recovered. However, his family proceeded with the funeral in an attempt to bring some closure.
Over 750 people came to the visitation on Friday and over 300 were at the funeral on Saturday. Obviously, Dustin had formed a lot of relationships in his brief 21 years. While relationships are wonderful things and bring joy to our lives, Dustin's death reinforced what the Bible teaches: that someday all these relationships will end. At that point, only ONE relatioship will matter: a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Dustin's friends and family asked if I thought he was in Heaven. Only Dustin and God know. However, we have the opportunity to know for ourselves that when we die whether at 21 or 101, we can spend eternity with Christ. Romans 10:9-10 make it clear what we must do if we want to go to Heaven: believe in Jesus (who He was and what He did) and confess that we need Him to run our lives. Once we have done that, we are told to seek the things of God with all our might (Matthew 6:33 and Eclessiastes 9:10).
If you have never believed or confessed or are struggling with seeking God first, please visit with me. It doesn't matter if you are a middle schooler, high schooler, college student, young adult or adult. I would love nothing more that to help you find God and pursue Him passionately.
In His service and yours,
MA