One year ago, August 25, 2012, my father left his earthly body and entered the glories of heaven with our Lord. After eleven days of enormous shock, pain, sadness and tragic bodily injury, with circumstances and surroundings too dark to write about, I remember a great sense of anticipation in the moments leading up to his last breath. There was a surreal realization of what was awaiting him and the certain hope he had at the end of life on Earth. I'm not speaking for the family, just me, but I felt a great peace and celebratory joy in the immediate moments after his passing. Dad knew only mercy, comfort and goodness in the arms of his Heavenly Father. This "high" was a blessing as I began the difficult journey of grieving him. Many of you have followed this process in previous blog posts. As we complete "the last first", the anniversary of his death, I have that same sense of peace and joy just like the moments after he left this world. The anniversary of his accident, much like the initial experience, came with bitter thoughts and emotions, but the anniversary of his passing reminds me of the glorious reality that Dad has spent a year praising Almighty God with the angels. THIS is a great comfort to his daughter as I miss him even more today than when we lost him. So, now I lift my eyes to the heavens and join Dad with thanksgiving and praise to God!
"An when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease; I shall possess within the veil a life of joy and peace. When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we've first begun."
vs 4 & 5 of Amazing Grace (one of Dad's favorite hymns)
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