If you say you love somebody........let them know about it

Following on from my post yesterday I was pondering on all the wonderful and heart warming things that would be said today, at the funeral of Whitney Houston.  From the 1500 invited guests a chosen few have been invited to share their memories, thoughts about her and her life.  I wondered how many of the 1500 strong had spoken to Whitney recently to ask how she was doing or if she needed a listening ear or shoulder to cry on.  Like many of us perhaps they simply read the newspaper headlines that repeatedly reported on 'The rise and tragic fall of a superstar' and simply thought how sad it was.

Blame for her demise has been laid squarely in the hands of ex-husband, Bobby Brown.  It is true that he probably introduced her into a most damaging and destructive way to cope with a life in the spotlight, but he too was fighting his own demons, coping the only way he knew how, in need of an outstretched hand of love.  Even today controversy reared its ugly head and he was unable to pay his respects (he is after all the father of her child, a child who now has to make sense of what has happened).

I was reminded of a conversation I had with a friend of mine.  She said that she wouldn't want flowers at her funeral because it would be of no benefit to her as she would not be able to smell them.  Neither would she want her favourite music played as she would not be able to hear it.  The essence of what she said was profound;  that she would rather enjoy those things whilst she was alive.  "If you want to show me you love me buy me my favourite flowers whilst I am alive and can appreciate them, play my favourite songs to me now whilst I can appreciate them." ' Love me and show me love now and not retrospectively' was her message.
My mother-in-law said something similar when my sister-in -law, Foluke passed away unexpectedly in 2003 at the age of just 29.  Mum said that the one thing she was so thankful to God for was that Foluke knew without a shadow of doubt that she was loved and adored by all who knew her.  She knew because we told her we loved her, often.  Our actions too demonstrated our love for her.

Whitney's family arranged a funeral fitting for a 'superstar' as she was regarded; a gold hearse, coffin and other trimmings, perhaps a necessary part of their grieving process to have a public demonstration of the depth of their love for her.  What was clear from the footage on the news is that when we strip it all back God reigned in the midst of it all.  The choir belted out some holy tunes in the church in her hometown, where it all started.  Her mother had insisted on a firmly Christian affair and she achieved that.  Whitney went back to her roots, Christian roots and home to the welcoming arms of a Father who loved her with a love she was certain of.  It certainly was a Christ centred tribute and not the sort of show biz affairs we are accustomed to.

In my eyes there is only one superstar, 'Jesus Christ'.  He died a humiliating death, too painful to contemplate and was certainly not afforded a funeral, even in its simplest form...........

I pray for Whitney's daughter, that she may be surrounded by people who truly love her and show her that love not just for today, but always.  I believe that God intended the Christian walk to be one lined with relationships with people who always 'have our backs'!

Today (day 54) I am thankful to have people in my life that I know love me and let me know.