I'm sitting here right now, full of tears, thinking of a dear friend who went home to be with the Lord yesterday. If you know Eric, you are probably feeling much the same way. He fought the good fight with ALS, but at age 40 the horrible disease took him up to heaven. The fact that he's now in heaven, no longer in pain and laughing with Jesus is hard to imagine...yet a relief to know it's true. What stinks are the people left here on earth to live the rest of their lives without this amazing man. Particularly his wife and their two children. Their two young children. I think Zach is 13 and Maddie is 7 (or something close to that).
Even though Lori and the kids had plenty of time to know this was coming and to try to prepare themselves for this day, I'm sure the reality of it is just unbearable. I mean, even I was tossing and turning most of the night, trying to process this. Then this morning as soon as I sat in front of the computer and started reading more Facebook posts and the little note that Lori sent to the church prayer chain...the waterworks ensued. For a brief moment, it makes you mad. It's just not fair that things like this should happen to such amazing people. It's not fair that Maddie and Zach should have to have said goodbye to their Dad already, or that Lori is left without a husband. It's just not fair!
Yet, God knows. He knows it's not fair to have horrible things happen to someone you love dearly. He had to watch unthinkable things happen to His one and only Son. I mean, not just Jesus' crucifixion...but all the people who treated Him so horribly during his time here on earth (they mocked Him, spat on Him, plotted to kill Him, etc.). God had to endure it. And then on the cross, when Jesus had taken upon Himself all of our sins...Jesus, the perfect One. Then it was so unbearable, that God the Father had to look away. God Himself. So, yes, God knows.
Last night when I found out (from a Facebook post of a mutual friend) that Eric had died, I immediately went out and told Dave. Of course, he was just as shocked as me. What was so precious was that after I told Dave and then came back to sit in front of the computer, Hannah followed me in here. She came up to me with wet eyes and a gentleness in her voice, and she said, "Mommy, you're going to miss Eric, aren't you? And you might even cry about him being in heaven, won't you?". I was then able to take her in my arms and tell her how wonderful it was for Eric that he was in heaven now. He was no longer in any pain and he was probably running around with Jesus. I told her that we don't have to be sad for Eric. Eric is so lucky to be in heaven right now. But, I told her, we definitely need to pray for Lori and the kids because now they are the ones who are really going to miss Eric. They are going to need our prayers for peace and comfort for a long time to come. After that, Hannah asked a few more questions about heaven and about Eric dying. It was just a precious moment to see her process it all. A couple years ago, Luke had a little friend from school (also named Eric) die of leukemia. We all regularly talk about little Eric up in heaven running around with Jesus. Hannah now has two Eric's that she talks about being in heaven and being able to see someday. They both left an amazing legacy behind here on this earth. Both are greatly missed.
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