IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME

As the previous article titled: He Did His Part was about mine and Nana’s grandson Kaleb Alan Turner, so is this one. As stated: 10/13/2010 is the second anniversary of Kaleb’s premature leaving of this present world.

For those who read this column, you know that since that fatal day on 10/13/2008, I have written various articles regarding Kaleb. One such article was on 05/14/2010 titled: When The Good Die Young, in memory of Kaleb’s then Eighteenth Birthday which was on 05/19/2010. I got the name of the title from a song written and sung by Billy Joel. For at the time the lyrics were saying to me: What a waste it seems to see a young life cut short, one that had so much promise and potential ahead of it; one of these young lives being Kaleb.

In this article, I once again have chosen the title of a song as the article’s title: If I Could Turn Back Time, for the lyrics of this song sung by Cher speaks of the hearts’ desire of mine and Nana’s and all those who truly loved Kaleb. Here now are some of the lyrics which have been altered and modified to fit our feelings:

If we could turn back time, if we could find a way; we’d have you stay, we didn’t wanna see you go.

If we could reach (beyond) the stars, we’d come to you; that we could be together, like we used to be.
Our world was shattered, we were torn apart; like someone took a knife and drove it deep into our hearts.
When you went out of this world, we lost everything right then and there.
We didn’t want to see you go; oh, how it made us cry. If we could turn back time, if we could find a way;

then maybe (just maybe) you’d been able to stay. If we could turn back time…

Even though this desire has been with us since that fatal day, and will always be there all the remaining days that we may live; I know it will never be, for we cannot turn back the time. So, since we cannot; the only thing we can do is to keep living, until the time when we too will leave this present world; to go and live forever in our eternal home with our Kaleb and all those other loved ones who have also gone ahead of us; all the young children automatically going and all others by way of each and everyone’s personally receiving their own individual Salvation thru and by Christ Jesus.

The Bible tells us of another family who suffered the premature departure of a younger family member. Here are excerpts of the comforting words spoken by the father:

^“And the child was very sick. David therefore be sought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:15-23).

I know for at least myself and Nana, it is this very story of a hope for an eternal reunion that has given us strength to endure our own family’s time of sorrow. It is our prayer that all those who may read this article who also are coping with their own such tragedy will find this same solace as well.

There is no turning back time, there is just going forward, looking toward that eternity that awaits (Job 14: 13-15). UNTIL THEN, THIS HAS BEEN ONE PAPAW AND NANA STILL MISSING THEIR KALEB.

For comment I may be contacted by email alandturner@hotmail.com.