The funeral for Dan is Wednesday morning and the visitation is tomorrow at the church. It is all very unreal to me right now, I just can’t believe that he is gone. I had a very hard time when I walked into the office today and in fact I was only there for a grand total of 15 minutes before I decided that I just had to leave. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be very hard days. Something that is difficult to deal with right now is simply the idea that there is no closure yet. Knowing we still have the funeral and visitation to do is a very heavy feeling, but I know that those things will help me to deal with some of these feelings. Something else I find to be difficult is being single and having parents who do not attend church or know anything about what is going on. I can’t come home and share with them and grieve with them because they never knew Dan, and there is no connection, so I am destined to suffer by myself. I know it will be different tomorrow when I am with my church family but it certainly doesn’t help how I feel now, alone.
Knowing that I will not see him again on this side of glory makes me miss him even more. However, even though I miss him and I am sad that he is gone I also experience immense joy knowing that he is not dead, but in fact he is very much alive. Dan is more alive than we could ever hope to be right now, as he is standing in the radiant glory of God, being filled with everlasting peace, and awestruck by the precious knowledge and inexplicable love of Jesus Christ. I am certain that my greatest words and thoughts of heaven cannot describe its immeasurable beauty and indefinable glory. I know that even the utmost words of man could not come close to describing the incredible experience of being in the presence of the Almighty God. I don’t pity Dan, I envy him.
I have been praying for you all since the moment I found out. I wish I could be there with you. I can’t imagine how hard it is for those who have worked beside him everyday. You are all in my prayers, and several prayer warriors are lifting you and Dan’s family up here as well. Let me know if I can do anything specific. You are very correct in your thinking of Dan now, Craig- he is now made complete, and this time of mourning comes only from our selfishness to keep him here. I love you guys.
I have been praying for everyone envolved but it feels like that my prayers just are not helping.
having just gone through the process of burying my grandmother, i know what you are going through
my prayers are for you, you are absolutely right about where he is is better.
grieve - it is a natural process, cry - it is a manly thing to do - then rejoice and get on with life - it is probably what Dan would have said
At a time like this, when we’re struggling for what to make of Dan’s passing, this is the time when Satan can use these opportunities to bring us down. On Sunday, in my sunday school class, we reflected on all the good times we shared with Dan, all the funny things that had happened when we were with him and the memories that we will cherish forever, as this was what Dan would want. The feeling of “aloneness” is felt by many, and most of all, the ones that were closest to him, and Satan will use these feelings to stray us from the One who can provide comfort. In this time of sadness, but in rejoicing, too, I am praying that God will wrap His love around our church and Dan’s family so that we would be brought together to share one anothers’ pain and fears. Dan is free from the burden of this world and is sitting at the feet of the Heavenly Father. He will be missed so much but I am grateful for the time that he got to share so much life and wisdom with us. We are all blessed to have known him and he will not be forgotten.
One word comes to mind Craig when I read this and pray. “Paradise”. I’ve always thought about what Heaven could be like. I’m sure its beyond our imagination, but Jesus himself calls it Paradise.
I don’t even know your friend but when I was reading Luke 23:42-43 I started crying. Not out of sadness. Its just one of those things you cry about because of the beauty in it.
42.and he was saying “Jesus remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”
43.and He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
I know we have read that so many time, but its at times like this that it means so much more.
Bless all of you that are going thru this. You do have each other.
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