I attended a funeral service today for an NCS brudder, Ed Wheeler. I don’t like funerals, because they remind me that my days are numbered. I particularly dislike funerals of people who are not really old, because they remind me that my number is unpredictable. Ed was only 55. I am approaching 49. But Ed’s funeral made me think about “showing up”—what we say NCS is about at its core (I thought about it so much that I sent myself an e-mail that said “showing up” just so I wouldn’t forget). It also made me think about what it means to be a “faithful presence”—what the 2010 Retreat is all about.
Ed’s life, illness with cancer and death held many examples of NCS men “showing up” as a “faithful presence”:
- Ed gave up a financial career to show up as a faithful presence in broken lives as a family counselor because he believed God had called him to help heal marriages
- When Ed was healthy, he would come to NCS and show up as a faithful presence by volunteering to run the book/CD table.
- When Ed was very sick, he still showed up at NCS meetings whenever he had the energy, regardless of whether the speaker was famous or not, because Ed knew NCS is about the fellowship—it is about showing up in the lives of your brudders. His faithful presence taught hope and faith by example.
- When Ed was hospitalized, two NCS brudders with very busy lives, Dave Swanson and Wiley Mullins, showed up as a faithful presence at the hospital day after day to pray with Ed and support Ed’s wife Karen.
- When Ed went home to the Lord, his NCS brudders showed up at the visitation and the funeral (in fact, Dave Swanson gave one of the eulogies and ask all NCS men in church to stand up—it was nearly 50% of the men in the room)—faithful presence.
At an NCS New Canaan meeting earlier this month, Paul Young, author of
The Shack, told about the seven men who stood by his side while he watched his home get auctioned in a foreclosure
(CLICK HERE to hear Young's powerful message about finding God's love). Before getting involved with NCS, I sometimes wondered who, other than my family, would
show up to my funeral—I no longer wonder, because I have brudders.
If you only “
show up” at NCS meetings just to hear a speaker (or only show up when the speaker is someone “famous”) or if you only “
show up” in the lives of brudders at NCS meetings, then you are missing something really, really important. I don’t know what my number is, but I am thankful to Ed, Dave, Wiley and many others for reminding me to make the most of every day I have by connecting with and loving those God has put in my path—reminding me to be a “
faithful presence”. I know it's not something I am good at, but I know it is something I need to get better at. That was part of the powerful message of last week’s NCS New Canaan speaker, Dr. John Seel (one of our Retreat speakers). If you weren’t there, I strongly encourage you to listen
(CLICK HERE to hear Seel's message).
CLICK HERE to register for the 2010 Annual Retreat