Friendship, Trust, Grief
I have always been impressed by who my friend Terry is. Years ago, I knew she was a godly woman. The evidence of her testimony and of God's continued work in her life was obvious when I visited her on Friday. How can I leave a newly widowed young woman and feel as if I was the one encouraged?
I entered her house and we hugged and the friendship felt the same. Some friendships are for life. We spent many a day together over many years as we transitioned from me as the mother with small children and her denying she wanted any, to me as the student and her as the mother at home. We played piano and keyboard together - side by side - for many years.
She and Dan ministered together, sang together, and blessed others in so many ways. Their church has suffered a huge loss in their ministry together.
The cards of comfort surround the exposed beams in her home. The hand written letters describing her husband Dan's impact on lives are hung.
She is clearly proud of who her husband was - and rightly so. Dan was a transparent man, a kind man, a thinker, a man desiring to do as God willed for his life, and most of all - a generous man.
In that "small world" way of things, when we got to know our friends Kelly and Steve upon moving to F'burg, we learned that an old friend of ours - Dan White - had been instrumental is Steve coming to know the Lord. Fast forward many years - and Steve is now a pastor here in F'burg and Dan White's niece and brother-in-law and sister-in-law will be worshiping at Steve's church this morning.
My heart breaks for the loss of this wonderful dad in the lives of his children. But they can be so proud of who their dad was. As mostly homeschooled kids, they have been blessed with far more time spent with their mostly at home dad in the past couple of years - and will have many wonderful memories.
Terry does not deny the deep, visceral pain when she stops to realize that the love of her life is gone. She knows yet she is trusting her Father to care for her and her family. She is resting in this trust.
Her business is thriving, the necessary adjustments to life are under consideration, the support of family and friends has been there, the future financial needs are provided for with insurance, and Terry feels blessed by her Father.
Before I left, we viewed the photo collage of their lives together on DVD. The many times together as family, the pictures of the two of them together, evoke joy along with sadness.
She is such a blessing. Dan would be as proud of her as she is of him. They were truly blessed in their lives together.
I entered her house and we hugged and the friendship felt the same. Some friendships are for life. We spent many a day together over many years as we transitioned from me as the mother with small children and her denying she wanted any, to me as the student and her as the mother at home. We played piano and keyboard together - side by side - for many years.
She and Dan ministered together, sang together, and blessed others in so many ways. Their church has suffered a huge loss in their ministry together.
The cards of comfort surround the exposed beams in her home. The hand written letters describing her husband Dan's impact on lives are hung.
She is clearly proud of who her husband was - and rightly so. Dan was a transparent man, a kind man, a thinker, a man desiring to do as God willed for his life, and most of all - a generous man.
In that "small world" way of things, when we got to know our friends Kelly and Steve upon moving to F'burg, we learned that an old friend of ours - Dan White - had been instrumental is Steve coming to know the Lord. Fast forward many years - and Steve is now a pastor here in F'burg and Dan White's niece and brother-in-law and sister-in-law will be worshiping at Steve's church this morning.
My heart breaks for the loss of this wonderful dad in the lives of his children. But they can be so proud of who their dad was. As mostly homeschooled kids, they have been blessed with far more time spent with their mostly at home dad in the past couple of years - and will have many wonderful memories.
Terry does not deny the deep, visceral pain when she stops to realize that the love of her life is gone. She knows yet she is trusting her Father to care for her and her family. She is resting in this trust.
Her business is thriving, the necessary adjustments to life are under consideration, the support of family and friends has been there, the future financial needs are provided for with insurance, and Terry feels blessed by her Father.
Before I left, we viewed the photo collage of their lives together on DVD. The many times together as family, the pictures of the two of them together, evoke joy along with sadness.
She is such a blessing. Dan would be as proud of her as she is of him. They were truly blessed in their lives together.