Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Eternal Perspective

About a week ago I finished reading the book The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Towards the end of the book, the fourth person Eddie (the main character) meets is his wife. He has all these flashbacks and then finally has this conversation. It was interesting to me, and completely appropriate. I liked it a lot. Eddie felt the same emotions any human being feels after losing a loved one...but when looking at the whole thing from an eternal perspective, you see the reason behind it all.

' "You had to live without love for many years, didn't you?"
Eddie said nothing.
"You felt that it was snatched away, that I left you too soon."
He lowered himself slowly. Her lavender dress was spread before him.
"You
did leave too soon, " he said.
"You were angry with me."
"No."
Her eyes flashed.
"Ok, yes."
"There was a reason to it all," she said.
"What reason?" He said. "How could there be a reason? You died. You were 47. You were the best person any of us knew, and you died and you lost everything. And I lost everything. I lost the only woman I ever loved."
She took his hands. "No you didn't. I was right here. And you loved me anyway. Lost love is still love, Eddie. It takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile or bring them food or touch their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it."
"Life has to end," she said. "Love doesn't."
Eddie thought about the years after he buried his wife. It was like looking over a fence. He was finally aware of another kind of life out there...' --
The Five People You Meet In Heaven

4 comments:

Katie said...

That was beautiful! I can't wait to read that book. It's so true - tragedy and loss do heighten other emotions within you - emotions that wouldn't be felt if it weren't for pain. Love you girl! See you tomorrow!

Jessica said...

i'm glad you got to finish it finally :) and i'm glad that we're a part of that different way to live life together. love you girl.

Kathi Roach said...

That is a great book. When I read it my son was in 4th grade at the time. He asked me who the 5 people were because he could only think of 4.

The 4 he thought of were:
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Jesus
& God.

:)

Kathi Roach said...

PS. I'm going to add a link to your blog on mine, if you don't mind,