Blessed be the name of the Lord

Thank you, dear friends, for your prayers, financial gifts and practical helps you have given to our family at this time. We are daily depending upon  God's grace. Below are some words God gave me to speak at Bud's memorial service in Michigan. I pray they are an encouragement to you.

"My children are not sure I should try to or even would be able to speak today, but since I cannot possibly speak to each of you individually I wanted to share my heart to you all together.

Thankfully the Lord veils the future from our eyes. Bud used to say about things that surprised him, “Who-da thunk it?””” We had no clue that when he closed his eyes to sleep that Friday evening, he would open his eyes in glory. We had a sweet evening together Friday to celebrate the fact that he had ridden his bike 1,000 miles since January 1. He requested his favorite meal and then took me out for a dessert treat. Had I known what the next day would hold I could not have enjoyed what is now a sweet precious memory.

It will come as no surprise that as I look back over recent months, God was preparing me for this day. Our ladies Bible study has been memorizing Psalm 91 this year and recently quoted it for our adult Sunday school class. Now phrases from that passage are anchoring my soul. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him I will trust.”

Also in ladies Bible study this year we have focused on thankfulness. We have kept daily journals of the blessings, both big and small, that God gives to us. Because I have exercised thankfulness all year long, my heart turned to gratefulness over and over in these past weeks.

                I am thankful for the years God gave Bud and me together.

                I am thankful for the godly examples He set before us.

                I am thankful for the love and support of God’s people

.

                I am thankful for my five children and their spouses who have stepped up to care for me. They hovered over me so carefully, that finally one afternoon I held up my car keys and said, “These are my keys to my suburban and I am taking a ride alone.”

                I am thankful for the Savior we served together.

                I am thankful that Bud now has the joy of seeing God face to face.

The last sermon Bud preached was Resurrection Sunday. Now what he believed to be true by faith is sight. The week before that he preached in Acts chapter 16 which tells the story of Paul and Silas being dragged into prison for preaching the gospel. In this seemingly out of control circumstance, they chose to worship God and praise Him. The statement Bud repeated over and over through the sermon was this, “When it seems that everything is out of control, put your trust in the One who controls everything.”  Today those words give me strength.

I will repeat the words of Job 1:21, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

With love for you all,

Sandy