Yesterday, on his 82nd birthday, my uncle Henk Witteveen was taken out of this life to be with the Lord. Death always comes as a shock, even when it's an elderly person who dies; death is an intruder, not a natural part of life. But Uncle Henk has left behind a difficult life, and in his case, the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:23 are all the more poignant - for it is far better to depart and to be with Christ.

Uncle Henk lived many years with schizophrenia, a serious and often debilitating mental illness. I only knew him as a "hermit" - he lived on the farm where I grew up, but from the time I was old enough to remember until I was an adult, as far as I know, he never left the farm property. It took a serious fall and some broken bones to get him into the hospital, and he spent the last few years of his life in comfort in an extended care facility.

But even at 82 years old, Uncle Henk was a "covenant child." Although for many years he didn't leave home for any reason, much less to attend church, I have confidence that he is with the Lord, because the Lord is faithful to His promises.

I was never really able to talk with Uncle Henk. I visited him a couple of times in the facility where he was living, but communication on any level was always a challenge When I was young, I was kind of scared of him - he usually had a big white beard, but his personality wasn't as much like Santa as his looks were. And because he spoke a mixture of Dutch and English (and that in a rather unique way), I could never really understand him.

But I look forward to speaking to him when we meet again, because I know his mind, which was so damaged in this life, will be renewed, and I'm certain that he will be experiencing all of the joy that escaped him in this life.