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by Jean Lisenby

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In February of 1983 is when I suffered the greatest lost of my life.  This was when I lost my Dad.
I was his only child, and his baby girl.  Over the years my Dad and I grew very close.  I also had a close relationship with my Mother and loved her dearly, but there was always something  special about my Dad.  As I recall from a little girl, when it was time for him to be coming home from work.  Getting that first glimpse of  him coming down that road, I could hardly wait.  I would always run to meet him,  jump in his arms and began to tell him everything that had happened that day. Somehow, I always knew that if anything was wrong,  he could always make it better.  But then that's what Daddy's do. So throughout the years to come that love would only grow stronger and deeper.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We were all gathered at our house for dinner and to enjoy the family getting together. Later that evening my Mom and Dad departed for home. Only some two hours had passed when we got a call, that my Dad had become very ill. My husband Jim, and I rushed over to give assistance in anyway we could, but found that he had already become unresponsive.

We immediately called for the paramedics to come.  We knew that it must be very serious as this had never happened before.  Once the paramedics arrived they did all they could to stabilize him, and then rushed him to the hospital.  Upon completion of their examination the doctors told us that he had experienced a massive cerebral hemorhage, and his chances of surviving was slim and none.

Needless to say, my Mother and I went numb with shock upon hearing this news.  How could it be that just a few short hours before we were laughing and talking and having dinner together?  How can this be?  The hurt,  the feeling of helplessness was oh so real.  I thought about that if this was it and he was going to die, how that I didn't  have the chance to say goodbye.  Through all the tears, and all the pain in the days that followed  we could only cling to each other, and to the Lord for strength.   And with hope  that  maybe somehow there might still be a chance that he would recover.

As the days followed,  the grim reality of his dying seemed ever so sure.  For the next eighteen days he lay in a coma and on life support.  Words can never describe the hurt and pain that one feels at a time like this. Life can be difficult and very hard to bare at times.  But knowing that God does know all,  and he sees our sorrow and he knows our pain.  We then can only pray for strength to be able to endure.  And pray that God's will be done.

I was reminded of these Bible verses. To read them again they gave me comfort.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3  A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5  A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6  A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8  A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

The morning of the eighteenth day arrived.  My husband had left for work.  I had awakened for a few moments and then fell back into a deep sleep.  A dream began, suddenly I was standing looking into this room and there on the bed lay my Dad.  I remember that my heart was hurting so, somehow at that time I knew that he was about to leave us.  I slowly walked over to him, and leaned down to hug him.  My tears could not be held back, my heart was breaking. With my face to the side of his for a moment I heard him say to me.  "Don't cry baby, we will all be together again."  From the moment he said these words to me, my tears and my hurting heart began to go away. I felt like a great weight of sorrow was now lifting.

I was suddenly awakened by the telephone ringing.  It was the Medical Center calling.

The voice on the other end said, "Mrs. Lisenby"?

"Do you have someone there with you?"

 I said, " No."

There was a pause on the other end.

I said, " It's okay, you can tell me". "My Dad has died"?

"Yes...., but are you sure you're alright"?

"Yes", I answered, "I'm okay now".

I felt that somehow God had allowed his spirit to visit me in that dream. To bring me that comfort, and in his way to say goodbye. Before he departed we were allowed one last visit. Our Father knows all and he sees all.  He will always be there for us,  even in the darkest hour.

What happens after death?   Where do we go?  Thoughtout time many have wondered about what happens after death. Many have different beliefs about it. While other will say I just don't know for sure. We can understand,  and know these things by going to our Father's word.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7

1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2  While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

3  In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

4  And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

5  Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

And the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.   Yes, our spirit shall return from which it came.  What a wonderful thought that is. What more can be said.

We all have lost loved ones, and even after knowing all these things that our Father has written to us in his word,  it is only natural to mourn for a time.  No matter how young or how old they may be or what the circumstances are, it seems we are never ready to give them up until we must.  Those that have become such a part of our lives, it is hard to imagine life without them.

Psalm 31:24

Be of good courage , and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

So life goes on, and a new day is on the horizion, blue skies will surely come again. I do know one thing for certain,  that is if we love our Father with all of our heart and have repented, then he is sure to answer our prayers and be there for us in our time of need.  His time is not our time, but there is always a purpose and a time for everything under God's heaven.

"Don't cry baby, we will all be together again."

God bless with understanding of His word.

www.ourfathersword.org

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