Do you believe this?

My father with Talitha - one of his great grandchildren

Believe it or not, but my father's funeral today was a celebration... Of course we are all grieving because it is hard to let my father go - but we rejoice in the fact that he is with his Lord and Saviour now and for ever!

Together with some of my brothers and my eldest nephew, I carried the coffin with my father's body to his grave. While walking slowly, we started to sing and we didn't stop singing until we arrived at the grave. All the while the sun was shining above us on this beautiful autumn day.

At the grave I told the family and friends about my father's business trip to the USA - many years ago. I was just a little boy back then and couldn't understand what was going on. All I knew was that a KLM airplane carried my father away to a far away place. I was sad because my father was out of sight, but even as a little boy I trusted that I would see him again soon. While I was telling this, I pointed at an airplane that was flying high in the sky above us...

Then I told the people that I unexpectedly had to return from Frankfurt to Amsterdam by airplane last week. I was attending the Frankfurt Book Fair when Lydia, my wife, called me while I was in the middle of my business meetings. Lydia told me that our father was taken to hospital after another heart failure (10 years ago the same thing happened to him). I knew that this could happen one day, but just couldn't believe that it happened today: October 19, 2005... This was my father's 81st birthday and my parent's 57th wedding anniversary!

All I could think was: I have to go home as soon as possible! At Frankfurt Airport I bought a ticket for the first flight to Amsterdam by KLM City Hopper. I didn't care about the ticket price - but while I was waiting at the gate I noticed that they had sold me a business class ticket for more than 300 euros. Maybe they sold me this so called 'Select Class' ticket because I was wearing a business suit? Anyway, I was treated as an important traveller and they offered me the best treatment I could imagine.


At my father's grave I told the people that a similar thing has happened to my father the moment he passed away. I trust he was treated as a Select Class customer by the Royal Heavenly Airlines. Not because my father was an important man devoted to earthly business matters - he was not. But because he was a precious child of God completely devoted to heavenly Kingdom matters! My father knew that he was saved by God's grace alone. He knew that he didn't deserve any special treatment. But his big Boss paid the price for his one way ticket to Eternity and I'm sure my father was carried away by a heavenly City Hopper - travelling at the speed of light!

We are happy for him, because my father was looking forward to meeting his Lord and Saviour. But at the same time we are all very sad because of our loss. My father is loved by many people and the church sermon was attended by approx. 250 visitors - some of them had never been to a church service before!

When his friend Lazarus died, Jesus was also very sad. I read out loud this piece of Scripture to the people attending my father's funeral.

I repeated Jesus's question to all the people standing around my father's grave: DO YOU BELIEVE THIS? I praise God for the fact that my question was answered affirmatively by most of them!

Then I told the people that I now knew that it was not easy to carry a coffin with the body of just one man - even if you share this load with 7 strong guys. Just imagine how much strength is needed to lift an airplane off the ground! It is hard to believe that this is possible at all, but this miracle happens again and again all around the world. Just go to the nearest airport and see for yourself what invisible strength can accomplish!

At this point I handed a chestnut and an acorn to my grieving mother and I read out this piece of Scripture...