Death is inevitable. It brings immeasurable pain to the living! It is even more painful and agonizing when death snatches away a young promising first fruit of the womb.

Many questions beg for answers: “How can the Gracious God allow a young lad to be taken away from his parents and siblings? Did God not hear our prayers for him to recover? Or is the loving God indifferent to the deep suffering that has been caused by the passing of our dear son in faith?” Yes we may not understand why the Lord permits such; He knows our pain. He works according to His own plans. The day of death and any other events on our life’s journey has all been planned out. Scripture relates this in Psalm 139:16 that ‘Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them’.

These were the core reflections shared by District Evangelist Solomon Gottah as he conducted the burial service for our dear Sunday school boy Desmond Akorli on Saturday 30th July, 2022 at Ziavi, in the Volta Region.

The District Evangelist based his sermon on the gospel according to John 16:22-23, “Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. And in that day you will ask Me nothing…”

The District Evangelist, elaborating on the bible word, begun the service and said: “Today brought a lot of pain and sorrow to many who are gathered here to bid farewell to our dear little Desmond”. He continued and consoled the bereaved family and all sympathizers present. He stated that “this very day was established by God and we ought to give thanks to Him even in this difficult moment and every situation that may befall us as Christians”.

“In the farewell discourse of our Lord Jesus Christ, he consoled the disciples of the pain His departure will cause them. He encouraged them, that there shall come a day of reunion and in that day, they shall ask no more question”. The District Evangelist further encouraged the bereaved family and the congregation not to grieve as people without hope but rather put their trust in God.

He added that, a day will come where both dead and the living shall meet again in joy, and this will happen only to those who have prepared themselves through the rebirth out of water and the Spirit, and do the will of God. “We shall have no answers to the numerous questions we may have now with respect to Desmond’s departure. Yet, our sorrows shall fade into the background on the day of resurrection. There shall be no tears, no sorrows and no pain. Then our joy shall know no bounds. The Lord permitted this day and He is fully aware of our pain and sorrows.”

He concluded by saying little Desmond does not live for himself. Young, as he was, he participated earnestly in every Sunday school activity in the church. and “I believe the work he has done within his seven years of life journey on earth will be a light that leads him to dwell in the company of the righteous, till we meet again on the dawn of the first resurrection”, said the District Evangelist.
 

7 years of Desmond’s life

Born on 14th November, 2014, into a New Apostolic family, Desmond grew up with the New Apostolic doctrine imbibed in him by his mother. His interest in church activities became even stronger when the mother was assigned a Sunday School Teacher at the Hohoe Central Congregation in 2019. Young Desmond was taken ill and within a short time, his condition deteriorated forcing him into coma for three weeks. The Lord called him home at the dawn of Friday July 29th 2022.
 

Rest peacefully Desmond! We shall surely meet gain.