In our last newsletter,
I discussed the battle my dad was engaged in with cancer, how he was one
of my “heroes of the faith” and the need for prayer.
Over the past several months, I had taken a leave of absence from
Legacy to devote maximum time to his care.
I would like to first of all thank everyone for all the prayers,
cards, letters and acts of kindness shown during his illness.
For a child of God, healing always takes place.
On May 11, 2006 at 3:05am, my dad was personally healed in the
presence of Jesus.
Our family has always been a very close family and his physical absence
here on earth has been deeply felt. I
really don’t see how individuals who have no hope of life beyond this
earthly realm cope with the death of someone they truly love.
Although I miss him, I have been comforted by so many blessings and
have felt peace unlike I have ever experienced before. First of all, he is alive (actually more so than either me or
you). He has no more pain,
suffering or ills of any kind. He
is having the opportunity to see his mother, father and other family
members and friends. Most of
all, he is actually getting to personally see Jesus, who made it possible
for him to be there in the first place.
Bad things happen to good people often.
Sometimes it is allowed (such as 9/11) to showcase the pure evil
that actually exists in the world and to drive people to a closer
relationship with Jesus (if bad things only happened to bad people, then
we would just sit back and say that they got what they deserved and the
hideous nature of sin and the devil could not be fully realized).
Sometimes it is allowed to bring people closer to Jesus through the
example of the one to whom the tragedy struck.
If there was anyone who did not deserve the pain of the cancer that
my dad had, it was him. He
was the example in the community of someone who would do anything for you,
loved the Lord, served his church, yet he suffered for several months.
Throughout the entire ordeal, he was always witnessing about how
the Lord had been good to him. He
touched many lives and many people are better and closer to the Lord
because of his example. Even
worse suffering happened to someone who lived a much better example than
my dad or anyone else did, and that is Jesus.
He did not deserve to be beaten, spit upon, cursed and nailed to a
cross, but He did it to take the punishment for our sins so that we all
could live with Him forever.
A couple of weeks before
my dad’s arrival in heaven, we were in the hospital room and he had a
very bad episode and he seemed to be slipping away at that time.
I recall very vividly the words he said to me, “I’m ready to
see Jesus”. What a
wonderful testimony. He was
depending and had his trust completely in Jesus.
That gave me great comfort. At
his bedside when our family was gathered around early that final morning,
we could tell that he would soon make his entrance in heaven and were all
saying some final words to him since traditionally hearing is the last to
go. His last few minutes, we
were trying to make his transition into heaven as comfortable as possible
and I leaned over and began to whisper in his ear while praying for the
Lord to give me words of comfort for him.
What was amazing is while I was talking to him, the Lord suddenly
gave me numerous scriptures which I had never memorized but was quoting
verbatim to him; scriptures which I knew ministered to both of us at that
exact moment. I also told him
that Jesus loved him even more than we did, that he was going to have a
great time and we would all see him shortly.
I then said to him that he had suffered long enough and it was time
for him to be healed. His
final moments on earth were very peaceful (although I am sure his first
few moments in heaven were full of excitement and wonder at the beauty of
what he saw).
At his funeral, one of
the songs he requested was “First Day In Heaven”.
What a day I’m sure that was, his first day in Heaven!!
Just think, 3:04am – Alive in Rex Hospital Room / 3:05am –
Alive in Heaven!!!! I am so
looking forward to seeing him again and I know that I will, only because
of what Jesus did. The bible
says that my righteousness is as “filthy rags”.
I could never live a perfect life.
No one can. Since God
is pure holiness, none of us deserves to be in His presence.
Since someone had to pay the penalty for our sins, God sent his
only Son who took our place on the cross, and if we confess and turn from
our sins, believe that Jesus died and rose again and accept Him into our
heart as our Lord and Savior, we will be saved (and you’ll get to meet
my dad too).
If you have not made
that decision, now is a great time. No
one knows the day or hour when a last breath will be taken.
Why not go through life with the confidence that my dad expressed
in those simple yet profound words, “I’m ready to see Jesus”.
In Christian Love,
Tim Perry for Legacy