Tonight was a really tough night for me when I finally got home. First of all, I worked all day. Secondly, I helped a friend host a sales party and my wife told me on the way home that a friend died today. These kids are close to my kids' age and this mom had been battling cancer for a very long time. When everyone got home from school and the kids were put to bed, my wife told our son that his friends lost their mommy today, that is, she went home to Jesus.
Now I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that she was a Christian and that tonight she is with Jesus in Heaven (to God be the glory). But the other side of this is that there are 3, no 4, kids that will no longer have their mommy. This statement really hits home with me for a numerous amounts of reasons: 1) I almost lost my wife both 3 and 2 years ago; 2) I have kids their kids' age 3) How do you explain this to your kids and 4) You can NEVER replace "mom".
So, when I finally got home, I changed clothes and went up and laid in bed with my son and talked. I talked about what he wanted to talk about, which was his friends' mommy. So we talked some more, we prayed and when I started to pray I sang him this song by Tree 63:
Blessed be your nameIn the land that is plentifulWhere the streams of abundance flowBlessed be your name
Blessed be your nameWhen I'm found in the desert placeThough I walk through the wildernessBlessed be your name
Every blessing you pour out,I turn back to praiseWhen the darkness closes in, LordStill I will say...Blessed be the name of the LordBlessed be your nameBlessed be the name of the LordBlessed be your glorious name
Blessed be your nameWhen the sun's shining down on meWhen the world's all as it should beBlessed be your name
Blessed be your nameOn the road marked with sufferingThough there's pain in the offeringBlessed be your name
Every blessing you pour out,I turn back to praiseWhen the darkness closes in, LordStill I will say...Blessed be the name of the LordBlessed be your nameBlessed be the name of the LordBlessed be your glorious name
You give and take awayYou give and take awayMy heart will choose to sayLord, Blessed be your name
I sang him this song and when I sang the part where it says, "you give and take away" he truly took away what I was trying to say to him: No matter what, Trey, blessed be the name of Jesus!
He is our friend. He suffered for our sins. He died on the cross for our sins once and for all. He understands what it is like being us. He understands pain (he died on a cross) and he understands love and joy. Because of Him, we are saved. We are loved and will always be His.
When I almost lost my wife, the hardest prayer that I ever prayed was, "not my will, BUT your will be done!" To God be the glory for ever and ever, Amen!
Dante