My Absent Son

2005, May 7th, Saturday evening, around 8:24 pm: The heart that took my son's life also claimed a part of mine. For our family, it seemed that a part of the sun had become darkened; but it was only an eclipse – it soon shall pass! “What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” “... The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” – Job 2:10, 1:21

Such an event has drained me of many tears, but it has not erased my memories nor destroyed my affection. So please, ask me about my absent son. I love him.

If you were to ask me right now about my Dad, I might say, “Well, I suppose he’s doing well. You see, he’s not with us now.”

Then you might say, “Oh, … huh …. How long has he been gone?”

“Well, the last time I saw him alive was October 1st of last year.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you say.

“Why are you sorry? I didn’t say he was dead. He lives somewhere in south-central Ohio. But what he’s doing right now, I don’t really know. He’s just absent from our presence right now. I certainly expect to see him again. I’m not sure when, but I plan to spend time with him again. I expect he will be doing well.”

And I expect the same of my son, Elisha Malachi Rauch. Actually, I expect it of the Lord, because I “judge Him faithful Who promised” (Heb. 11:11) that “to be absent from the body” is “to be present with the Lord” (II Corinthians 5:8).

So ask me about my son. I am very fond of him, and I like to talk about the people and things about which I am fond. Don’t you? He lives with the Lord. But what he’s doing right now, I don’t really know. He may be absent from our presence right now, but I certainly expect to see him again. I’m not sure when, but I plan to spend time with him again. I expect he will be doing well.

If it were up to you, he’d be “gone and forgotten.” But I do not want to forget him. In truth, he is not “gone and forgotten;” he is only gone and for-a-little-while. “But now he is dead,” as King David said, “wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me” (II Samuel 12:23).

The Psalmist also wrote, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15). So wherefore should I mourn? Wherefore should we avoid discussion about those who have “fallen asleep in Christ”?

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. … The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain …: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” – I Thessalonians 4:13-18