As many of you know,
my (Leah's) Dad died a few weeks ago, rather suddenly. He was a father and friend to us both. He was a very special man and will be deeply
missed. I read somewhere recently that
Heaven is the reward. And it is—for Dad
now, and us later. It hurts to miss
someone you love, but that is our pain, not Dad’s. He is in Heaven with his Savior.
Many people have asked
us how we are doing. We are “OK”. We’re not great—and it would be a lie to say
that we are. But, we aren’t falling
apart at the seams. The Lord has already
fulfilled His promises to bring us comfort and peace. And, through the pain, His peace and comfort
is there.
Below is our part of the
kid’s eulogy at Dad’s funeral. We wanted
to say how Dad taught us about the Lord.
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Deuteronomy 6:4-9:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when
you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as
symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the
doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
When I think about Don,
this is one passage that comes to mind. I don’t know if Don ever sat down and
“preached” to his children about his God and his savior, but I know that Don
lived for his children an example of what it means to be Christ like in family,
in business and to the world. He demonstrated Christ’s love to his children and
even his children-in-law. He lived that out not only when people were watching,
but behind the scenes as well. He was and is a model to us all.
I am privileged to be
able to call him “Dad” if only by marriage. I could not have asked for a more
kind, caring and compassion individual to have as a father-in-law. I will miss
him terribly, but I look forward to the day when I get to see him again; to see
his smile and share in his joy of being with Christ.
Love, Rob Bley
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I could fill many books
with the wisdom that my Dad taught me. But the most important thing that
he taught me was love. He demonstrated unconditional love, fatherly love
and sacrificial love. I will never forget the way that he would help
anyone he met, whether it was a little girl at Kmart, a stranger with a flat
tire on the side of the road, an employee who needed something repaired on
their car or his own family. What struck me most about his love is how he
gave it: freely. He never expected anything in return. And, if you
asked him why, he’d say, “It’s not a problem, kiddo.” His love for me, I
always knew was unconditional. As a child, I learned about God’s
love for me. That He sent His only Son to die for my sins. Not
because I deserved it, but simply because He loved me. And I always saw
Dad’s love for me as a picture of Christ’s love on the Cross. Thank you,
Daddy, for being such a beautiful example of such a wonderful gift.
Oh give thanks to the
LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever…Save us, O God of
our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may
give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Blessed be the
LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
1 Chron. 16:34-36
1 Chron. 16:34-36
Love, Leah
