It has been a different day with dramatic blending from heaven and earth. Joyce I and left early this morning; I decided to utilize a vacation day to listen to another minister and take a breather. So we drove to the First Mennonite Church in Berne where my cousin, Rev. Jerry Flueckiger, was preaching today. Following church, we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Berne Dining, and visited with some close friends of my parents who were in the booth next to us. The goal was to drive to Portland, check out some history sites in Jay County, Indiana, and then come back to the Lob for a walk. That all changed on the way to Portland. I received a phone call from a dear friend of ours from our first parish in Wabash, Ohio. When I saw her name on the screen, I had my concerns and that was warranted. An elderly deacon in the church, Bob Shirk, one of my early mentors and a lifetime friend almost like a father to me, had been found dead in his home at noon, by her...it was her grandpa. So we immediately turned to the east to spend time with her and her family and made some preparations for her grandfathers funeral. Bob Shirk and I have probably had 100 talks in a life time; all on the high level. This was no ordinary person, he has been a father figure and a best friend. I had funerals for his wife, son and daughter-in law. The last time I visited with him was a few months ago, almost two hours by his kitchen table. But this all has another twist. It gave me spiritual goose bumps in my heart. So Bobs tombstone is going to say, Dec. 28 on the passing date. So does my fathers. It was 24 years ago today that my mother walked into our family living room after a beauty appointment to discover my father had died of a massive heart attack while she was gone. Dates, dates, coordination of dates...Ive seen so much of it...my biological father and my spiritual father both passed on Dec. 28. Is that eerie to me? Not at all...it shows what a precise plan God has for all of His children in every life. So pray for his granddaughter Mandy, whom Joyce and I held this afternoon. I had her parents wedding, my first wedding; i had their funerals, and now this week I am going to bury her beloved Grandma that she loved for dearly.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 03:22:49 +0000
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