We all have a path in life that is laid before us. We make the choice as to whether to stay on that path or try a short cut. Sometimes the short cuts turn out to be longer and more tedious than the route originally laid. Sometimes we run into detours and the adventure takes on a whole new meaning! The joys we encounter along the way help to make the trip even more gratifying.
We don't always get to the promised land in a manner than we would choose. Some of us get there at the end of a very long and well-lived life. Some of us get there before we experience only a small amount of time. Some of us get there in the middle. The one thing we all forget is that getting there is always in God's time. No one goes on to be with him until his time here on earth is finished. We often say "their life was cut short" - that's just not the case - their life was just as long as it was supposed to be - according to God's plan.
The instrument of death for each of us is different. Whatever the mode, it has passed through God first. As hard as it is to understand the "why", we must concede that the reason may not be for us to understand and have faith that it is part of the plan, part of the path - where, in the presence of God, our loved ones experience all the joy and all the pleasures of heaven.
