WELL DONE, DAD

My Dad met Jesus face to face a little after noon on Sunday.   

Last Monday I drove my parents down to MD Anderson for the week for an initial consult to see what treatments they might be able to try with him. Our appointments went well and we were all impressed with the caring, kind people and atmosphere of hope there.  He developed some complications late in the week while we were still there and Mom and I started noticing a decline. We took him to the ER Saturday afternoon, and eventually to ICU.  He developed a serious, rapidly progressing infection that with his AML diagnosis his body just couldn’t fight and began to shut down. This timing was sudden but ultimately not unexpected. He had been bravely fighting his disease for months but we knew the Lord had his exact number of days appointed, we just didn’t expect to say goodbye quite so soon. This has been so very hard for our family but we are grateful that he is healed and no longer suffering. We know that he is in the presence of his Lord who he diligently pursued a deep, personal relationship with and grew to know and love more each day for most of his life.  

As I was writing this post I received a text from one of my dear college roommates. She shared how she’s been thinking about the fact that “our parents usher us into life and we, if we are blessed to, have the opportunity to usher them into the presence of Jesus.” What a beautiful picture. 

There are so many of you who have prayed for him and it’s humbling to know that along with friends we know personally, “internet strangers” would also remember him and our family in prayer. That means more than you know and I’m truly grateful. ❤️

I’ll close with my Dad’s favorite verse, Psalm 84:11.  “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”  We are confident that the first words Dad heard as he stepped into heaven were “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”