The Tallest Man in the World

Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

Philippians 3:20 – 4:1

When I was in the third grade, my oldest brother, David, was in the Navy based in San Diego. It was time for him to come home on leave. I didn’t want to go to school. I wanted to be there when my big brother came home. My mother finally convinced me that if I went to school, David, would come to pick me up as soon as he got home. She promised. So, I went to school.

All day, my eyes were peeled on the door to that third grade classroom. All day, I waited for David. All day, I told my friends that my brother was coming.

Finally, one of my classmates asked me what my brother looked like. My response was that David was the tallest man in the world. And in my eyes, he was.

Actually, David was probably 5’ 7”, 5 '8" or so – maybe 5’ 9”. It really didn’t matter. David was always way taller than anyone else in my eyes. To me, he was superman.

David was humble, steadfast, and honest. He was an honorable man. He was the quiet one in the family – much quieter than my other brother and me. But when David said something, it was always worth hearing.

When David died, he saw angels in his hospital room. He was very surprised that we couldn’t see the beautiful angels and the warm mist in the corner of his room. He talked to our parents and our aunts and uncles who had passed from this earth. He described a beautiful lake, the most beautiful he had ever seen with all of the family he hadn’t seen in a while smiling and welcoming him as he came closer to the shore.

David was going home. He was on his way to heaven. And in his own quiet way, he gave us all hope and assurance that we would all be together again.

Sometimes a man’s height just can’t be measured with a yardstick.

Lord, Thank you for those who we love who now sit with You waiting for us. Thank you for the ones that we love who show us, in so many ways, the way to You. Lord, it is so hard for us when we lose someone we love – especially someone who rises to heights far above others. We know that those who pass from this earth are in a place more beautiful than we can even imagine. When we cry, Lord, know that we cry for ourselves for our loss. It’s hard to say goodbye to Superman, even for a little while. Amen.