Monthly Archives: June 2019

Since Dad died 1-½ months ago people keep asking me, “How are you doing?” The truth is I have good days and bad. Sometimes I have to hold back the tears and sometimes they fall unheeded, but all-in-all, I’m doing good. I’m at peace and, as the old hymn goes, “It is well with my soul.”

How is that we Christians, in the face of such an overwhelming loss, can say with confidence, “It is well with my soul”? Where does that kind of peace come from?

The answer is it comes from knowing, without a doubt, that:

• Our loved ones are at rest. They sleep in the grave, awaiting the glorious day “when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out…” John 5:28. They feel no pain, know no sorrow. They are simply asleep waiting for Jesus to call us all home.
• We will see them soon. “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thess 4:16-17.
• We are not alone. We have a God who “is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalms 34:18. He never leaves or forsakes us (Deut. 31:6) and He is coming soon to take us home. Then, ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

John 16:33 tells us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus is coming soon, but until then life will not be easy. Loved ones will die, hearts will be broken, tears will fall. We will experience grief, pain, loneliness, despair. But a better day is on it’s way! Until then we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and who gave His Son to set us free. His grace is incomprehensible, his compassion absolute, and His love without end.

No matter what challenges you face today, no matter the sorrow or grief you bear, hold tight to the Father’s hand. Let Him ease your burdens, soothe your pain, and give you peace, so when asked how you’re doing, you honestly say, “It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

God bless and have a Happy Sabbath!

Today is my first Father’s Day without my father.

Dad passed away unexpectedly one month ago tomorrow, leaving an empty space at the head of our family table and an aching hole in each of our hearts.

Normally I’d be on the phone with him right now, wishing him a happy Father’s Day, telling him how proud I am to be his son, what a wonderful father he is, and how much I love him, but that phone call will never again be made. Never again, in this life, will I be able to share with him my accomplishments, seek his counsel, or hear his laugh. Never again will we be able to take a walk, play a game, or share a joke.

Yet, in spite of the grief, I feel peace. I know Dad loved God, he was ready, and I will see him again. Of this I have no doubt. When Jesus comes again, He will raise up Dad and Eddie and my grandparents and we will have a wonderful reunion. “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” – and with each other. (1 Thess 4:17)

I also feel joy and thankfulness, because, in looking back, I realize Dad and I rarely had a cross word between us and we shared so many wonderful experiences. Hiking in the Adirondacks, canoeing in Maine, working with wood, playing the sax, ping-pong, and our love for God. I’m just so proud to have been his son and so thankful for the amazing father he was.

Most of all, I feel loved, because, although my earthly father is gone, I know I am not alone. I am not fatherless. I still have a Father, a heavenly Father, who loves me with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3), who will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5), and who “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Ps. 147:3).

God is “father of the fatherless” (Ps. 68:5) and “tender and compassionate to those who fear him” (Ps. 103:13). He loves us so much “He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

This Father’s Day, although I miss Dad terribly, two things ease the pain – I know I will see Dad again someday soon and I still have a Father who loves me with all His heart and always will.

This Father’s Day, if you have an earthly father to love, give him an extra hug. If you don’t then know this – you are not alone. You too have a heavenly Father who loves you and who is coming soon to take you home. Today may you feel His peace which passes all understanding surrounding you and may you find comfort every day in His loving arms.

Happy Father’s Day!

Driving home from Seattle Thursday afternoon, I realized I hadn’t bought Ana anything on my trip, like I usually do. Of course, it hadn’t exactly been a pleasure excursion and shopping had been low on the agenda, but I still wanted her to know how much I’d missed her and how much I love her.

As I approached Cashmere I remembered Christina Ford, the daughter of our friends Steve and Angela Ford, is selling fresh flower bouquets to raise money for college. I gave the Fords a quick call and they said to come on over.

When I arrived, Angela was just bringing the flowers up from the garden. I got to watch as she skillfully put them together, putting accents here and there to add to the beauty of the poppy flower arrangement.

I was surprised, however, when she took out some matches and began burning the ends of the flower stems. Angela said this helped the flowers absorb and retain water better. The scarring from the fire made it possible for the flower to stay beautiful longer.

Thinking about this later, I realized life is often like this. It’s never fun going through the fires of suffering, disappointment, and loss, but these trials can, if we let them, help make us better people, better able absorb God’s love into our hearts and share it’s beauty with the world around us.

So, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

This coming week I hope, no matter what comes your way, you will let God turn it into something good. As you face trials, when you feel the heat rise, don’t despair. Instead let the testing of your faith produce perseverance. Let the pain make your stronger. “Let perseverance finish its work”, and, every day, choose to bloom a little more brightly for Him.

Love is a funny thing.

Love fills our days with joy, our nights with passion, and our future with hope. It lifts us to heights we never dreamed of scaling and gives us courage to take risks we could never take alone. Yet, love also causes us so much pain, especially when the one we love is gone.

In the last two weeks our family has been dealing with this less pleasant aspect of love, the pain of loss. Dad’s death has left a huge hole in each of our hearts, but the pain is especially acute for Mom, as today is their 61st anniversary. They had a love like few experience on this earth, a love that lasts forever.

1 Corinthians 13:8 promises that “Love never fails.” It is that forever aspect of love that is helping Mom and the rest of us get through this. We know even death cannot extinguish the fire of true love, because it continues to burn in our hearts and minds, in the memories of shared moments and the promise of a better tomorrow in heaven someday.

So, although our hearts are breaking, we face the future with faith Jesus is coming soon, unwavering hope in the Resurrection, and the knowledge that, though “weeping may last through the night, joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5).

A beautiful new morning is about to break, a day when God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning our crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

Until then we will cherish the memories, hold fast to our faith, and remember always, that, no matter what comes our way, nothing, not even death, can ever “…separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

God bless and have a Happy Sabbath!