Chapter
20

The day after Jackson’s funeral, Elna’s ob/gyn and his new wife called us and wanted to come over to the house for a visit. I think they meant well, and they wanted to help us in their own way. They came into our living room and sat on the couch. It was really odd how many people were coming over to sit on that couch. Some people wanted to help. Some people wanted to see what was happening to us like the way someone can slow down on the interstate to see how people in an accident are coping. Some people brought gifts. Some people did all of those things.

 

The doctor came into the house as a fixer. He was going to fix our problem. We shared with them that God was holding us tight, and we were leaning hard on Him. The doctor blew that kind of reliance off. He told Elna not to worry. He would see to it that Elna would have no fertility barrier to get pregnant again. He would fix that. He then took out a prescription pad and offered Elna a prescription for the anti-anxiety drug Xanax.

 

Again, I think he meant well. But Jackson could not be replaced. There would never be a substitute human produced to take the place of Jackson Dease. There would also never be a drug of any type created to treat the grief that we were experiencing. The hole in our heart could only be filled by relying on God and God’s Way. We politely refused his Xanax.

 

1 Thessalonians 4 New International Version

 

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.