Some readers may remember a passage of scripture I have commented on from the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews. In this great chapter of faith, in the fourth verse, the writer tells us that by faith, though Abel is dead, he still speaks. As is the case for Abel, I see God reminding us of a couple of undeniable truths for us to consider. We will all "speak" after we are dead and the life that we live now will determine the sort of things we "speak" after we are gone.
Through the death of my father in-law and through His holy word, God has spoken to my heart recently about the importance of "the now". My father in-law left behind many memories and the life that he lived will dictate how he continues to speak to his family and friends as time goes on. But the dead are not afforded another opportunity to speak something new. They may only speak what they previously lived. I pray that this truth may instill in me a sober mindedness that will draw me to a closer walk with Christ through His word and promised Helper.
In a portion of Isaiah chapter 38, Isaiah was inspired to include "a writing of Hezekiah king of Judah". In the 19th verse we find in Hezekiah's writing, these words; "It is the living who give thanks to Thee, as I do today; A father tells his sons about Thy faithfulness." It is while we are living that we can give thanks to God. It is while we are living that we can love and serve one another. It is while we are living that we can "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". It is while we are living that we can "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God". It is while we are living that we can write in the hearts and minds of others the things that we will later speak when we are gone.
Fathers, while we are living and breathing, let us tell our sons and daughters about His faithfulness today! And may our life in Christ, while we walk this earth now, be such that we will continue to speak to them and others of faith; faith unto salvation and faith for living, when we are gone. May He be praised!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Thoughts and Memories
My father in-law passed away on Monday, February 7, 2011. He was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He has left me with a multitude of memories that are two many to put into words. On behalf of his family I shared the following at his memorial service.
Bernard's family has been experiencing all of these emotions since Monday afternoon when he passed away peacefully at his and Donna's home just a few miles from here. Bernard was graced with an unusual opportunity Monday; to pass into the presence of his Savior while resting in his favorite chair. Although Monday was a very difficult day for our family, it marked the end of all difficulties for Bernard and for that we are thankful.
Many years ago Bernard had already passed from death unto life when God had revealed to him the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Bernard had trusted in the saving work of Christ on Calvary's cross, believing that Jesus had died for his sins. By faith Bernard believed the gospel and believed Jesus' words recorded in John 11:25-26 where He said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die."
Bernard was many things to many different people. He was Donna's constant companion and husband of 56 years. He was a father to their five children; four daughters and a son. He was a father in-law, a grandfather, a great grandfather, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a nephew, a church member, a brother in Christ, a friend, a teacher, a principal, a superintendent, a boss, a fishing partner, a hunting partner and the list goes on.
Bernard was an extraordinary man with many and varied experiences and interests. He could quickly engage in a conversation with nearly anyone. He served his country in the Air Force. He was a lifelong educator as a teacher and school administrator. He had a love for golf when he was younger. He liked to cook a variety of foods, make homemade apple cider, and smoke fish. He enjoyed reading books and magazines. He enjoyed sports. He collected pocket knives. He had a thing for tooth picks. He enjoyed a variety of outdoor activities including farming, gardening, picking mushrooms, smelt dipping, clam digging, crabbing, hunting and fishing.
He was a kind and generous man with a good sense of humor. He treated people with respect unless you were the operator of a boat that was causing him to veer from his desired trolling path while fishing. He was a man of faith, not a perfect man, but a man who believed in the perfect One. He loved his family and although he might call his grandkids "mug wamps" or "magpies" or similar such names, they were just terms of endearment or he had forgotten their names for a moment. Following a heart attack he experienced a couple of years ago he was advised that only half of his heart was functioning. And although this was medically true, he continued to live life with all of his heart. Even after his 80th birthday last May he continued to drive into Warrenton early in the morning on several occasions to go sturgeon and salmon fishing this past summer.
Although his family will miss him dearly, we rejoice in our shared faith that he rests in the presence of Jesus now. We find assurance in God's word, that for the believer in Christ, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. We are thankful for the bountiful memories that we have and that we can share them with each other in the days and years to come.
We want to thank each one of you for your words of encouragement, your hugs, your cards, the food, your thoughts, your love and your prayers. We thank you for being a part of Bernard's life and pray that you might enjoy the memories he has left with you also.
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