A soldier goes to heaven

When we returned to Northern California in October 2011 I quickly became involved with a marine who had terminal cancer. It started as acute back-ache but turned out to be incurable. While on a six month tour in Iraq his life fell apart, his marriage ended and he cut loose. In one of those strange and rather wonderful providences God brought Carlos into his life. Carlos is a believer who finds it hard to believe and is  plagued by demons of the mind.  But he is a believer and he brought Daniel to church, where Daniel, a very lapsed Catholic professed faith in Christ. He ran well for a while but the demands of his paramedic course and the lure of the world eventually drew him away, but not completely. Every so often he would contact one of his former friends with a question about the Bible.

Then came the cancer and with it a return to the Lord. 'I''ve re-found my faith' he said on or first meeting. From the time he knew he had cancer, discipleship became a serious matter.  Visits were always the same; lying on the sofa, he would get his Bible, Strong's Concordance and laptop from the glass coffee table and away we would go. It was a quest for good texts, ones he could use in witnessing to his friends;  'Where does it say about God 's law being in our conscience?' Another time, I visited him in the hospital but he was too ill to talk. I made ready to leave when two of his pals turned up. 'Pastor, will you please pray?' The pals had to listen, then I left. He witnessed very clearly to his mother and one of the elders of the church testified that she prayed like a Protestant. I hope she believes like one too. He was not afraid to die.  He told the social worker from the hospice that he was going to a better place. A week ago we held the memorial. I preached on Simeon's readiness to die after seeing God's salvation in the face of Jesus Christ.  It was a good service.  The marines did their thing - very dignified. Then the veterans did theirs, five old men, one played 'taps' and the four others, who looked barely able to lift their rifles, fired three volleys, picked up the shells and gave them to Daniel's mother.. It was all over. For Daniel it all began on December twenty-sixth - the day he died.