In earlier days, W was a robust man, full of life and energy. A talkative type who could make people laugh. He didn’t miss a beat. As a young man, he was a truck driver. When he delivered the produce to a store, there he met a pretty young lady and later they married. As the years went on, W and his wife had a son and a daughter. Their life was busy and joyful.

One day, the tides turned, experiencing great sorrow when their dear daughter died after a short stint with cancer. Part of W was forever severed. He was never the same after that dark time.

Later on, he was a car salesman. Work and life continued for many more years.

Occasionally he and his son went fishing on a nearby lake. They shared the way men often do . . . sitting side by side, looking at the water. Chit-chat here and there, nothing too serious. Mostly business.

One day, W had relentless pain which intensified. It turned out to be a massive stroke. He didn’t remember the long days and nights in the hospital. Rehab was attempted for the relatively young man, at the age of 61. He laid for a few lonely years, his eyesight completely gone, one leg amputated because of earlier medical issues, both hands contorted into permanent fists. His family drifted away and he never received a visit.

W kept his faith in the Lord. Often a nurse would adjust the dial on his radio to the treasured tunes about Jesus. When a hospice volunteer came, he appreciated a psalm or prayer. Even when the words were very few and far between, he expressed his thankfulness for their visits.

W’s soul went on a journey home to the place he has longed for his entire life. Where is his soul? Where does it go when the body shuts down? The body remains, but the soul goes on an adventure to the presence of the Lord. Now he’s at peace. His hands are limber and whole, his body restored, he’s viewing the glorious colors of heaven. Today he sat with his daughter overlooking the glimmering sea.

W now enjoys the radiance of his Savior . . . face to face.