Much has happened in my life since I last posted. While I don't normally include a lot of personal details on this blog, mostly just thoughts, the events over the past few months seem too big to exclude. I'll share the extremely short version here.
After five months of working for my father in a new town, 2,000 miles away from my old town, my friends, and my family, my dad passed away from a sudden heart attack. He was 53 years old.
How do I explain that type of loss? I can't. From those around me I've heard the inevitable question: How could a loving God take a man away from his family so soon? How do I answer that question? I can't. What I can do though is continue to rely on the strength of the Lord, continue to walk on the faith that has never failed me before, and continue to love those around me as they move through their own stages of grief.
My God is bigger than death. I know this as a fact. My God is bigger than life on this Earth. I know that as a fact. When someone I love moves from earth to death, the pain is still there. But my God is bigger than my pain. I know this, although I may not always feel it.
Over the months since my father's death, my heart has healed somewhat. More important, my heart has grown. The love that I experienced from those around me and from those 2,000 miles away is the love of Christ. I hope to share that love as I continue down my path, as I continue fulfilling God's purpose for me. While I can't explain the events in my life, I know that if I let Him, God will use them to sanctify me, to make me more like Him.
I don't know why my dad died. But I do know my God is good, all the time. I know His love is true, all the time. So in the darkness of the night when sadness washes over me, I will cling to His light. I will cling to His life that He shares with me, and I will live for Him in spite of it all.
