And Then He Was Gone
It was on a Monday afternoon when we received word that one of our hard-working deacons had been in a terrible car crash and was gone. He was a young man, a godly man, a family man, a generous man, a compassionate man, and this list could go on forever. He was a husband and a father, but above all, he was a Christian man.
He was the deacon in charge of benevolence at our congregation, and he took his job seriously. He tried to help as many people as he could and often, out of his own pocket, he would give above and beyond what the church was able to do.
He was one of those men who was always there. If he wasn’t, you knew he was out of town on a trip or sick. It was just so rare for him to be absent. He was hard to miss because he was a giant of a man – tall and sturdy – but also very gentle. We called him a gentle giant.
Shock runs through you when you get news like we got that day. I cried. I prayed. I remembered. I reflected. I cried some more and I prayed some more. I prayed for his wife and daughters and I prayed for our church family. The hole left in both families would be huge.
Over the course of the days following that awful news, I spent a lot of time thinking about so many things … things that all of you have probably thought about at times like this. I hope you will let me share just a few of my thoughts. I think my brother in Christ would want me to.
- Life is fragile. Things that are fragile are easily broken or damaged. Life is so often like that…IF you don’t have a foundation underneath you. My brother in Christ had a firm foundation that I am sure carried him beyond this earthly life into Paradise. I want to remember that this life is fragile, but it isn’t the end for a Christian. (James 4:14)
- God did not cause this to happen. It bothers me when Christians say things like, “Why would God allow this to happen?” It sounds so much like blaming God, and we should never blame our heavenly Father for any tragedy that happens. Bad things happen to good people, but God is not to blame. (James 1:13,17)
- Tell those you love how much they mean to you. The suddenness of an accident like this really made me realize how important it is to say and show those around us how much they mean to us. (Matt. 24:36, refers to the end of time, but seemed appropriate to me for the suddenness of this passing)
- Live each day with which you are blessed to the fullest and thank God daily for your life. I’m sure my brother’s day began like any other day in his life. He probably went to Piper’s for coffee, and then headed to a meeting related to his job. But then the accident happened and he was gone. None of us know what a day will bring. (Matt. 6:34)
- God is still there with those of us who are left to mourn the loss of this good man. Around 800 people attended his visitation and funeral. Lots of tears were shed, kind words were said about a “gentle giant,” songs were sung that were perfect for the occasion, and then many people just went back to their daily routine. God is there to comfort all of those people, if they will seek Him. (James 1:12; 2 Peter 3:9)
Let me conclude these thoughts with some words that my brother in Christ loved. I didn’t know until we sang these words at his funeral that it was one of the things we shared.
“…they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
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AUTHOR: Donna Faughn
