The blessing and
grace of community
I just opened a package from Janna, one of Daniel’s best
student friends at Whitworth, and tearfully read through the few dozen notes from
his Whitworth friends that they wrote to him and us on April 28, the first
anniversary of his death. It is truly
amazing to witness the impact this son of ours had on so many people during his
eight months on campus and in the 12 months since he died.
As a father, I am stunned, proud, blessed, and broken
hearted all at the same time.
At times the grief is still unspeakable in its depth and
intensity, yet the grace that we are also experiencing continues to be
amazing. God’s hand was at work in Daniel’s
heart and life and it continues to be at work in the hearts and lives of those
who loved him his whole life and those who only got to love him for a short
time.
This Whitworth community of students, faculty, and staff are
now a part of our family in a profound way.
Even while our hearts continue to ache with pain and sorrow, somehow we
can experience the blessing and grace of that community. I am still surprised by this paradox but
thank God that it can and does co-exist.
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