[This article was initially a text message that I had sent to family and friends after my son-law had died on 19 August 2019. I had wanted to express a little of what I had been going through with those who had been praying for my dear family. It was quite a long text, and I said, “Don’t feel like you have to read it all now, but maybe when you are alone with the LORD…”]
I posted the same message here as a memorial to my dear son in-law &
In Memory of those dear Christians who have gone on before us!
This beautiful sunset was taken on 19 August 2019.
Updated: 19 May 2020 / 26 Iyyar 5780 / 41st Day of the Omer
It has been exactly nine months today, since my dear son in-law left this earth. I would like to share a little of what happened on that extremely sad day of 19 August 2019. I know there are many poor souls in this world who die alone, but not so with my JD. [Please note, this was written before the 2020 world wide pandemic & shut down of societies.]
When my son Elijah and I arrived at the hospital soon after midnight, JD had just gotten out of the operating room, and was in ICU. He was unconscious, and was breathing with a ventilator. He had so many machines and monitors hooked up to him. They were giving him several different antibiotics to try to stop the infection, along with medicines to bring up his blood pressure, and bring his heart rate down, but none of it was affecting him.
His beloved wife stayed by JD’s side all night while we stayed in the waiting room. At the 6:00 am visitation hour, JD’s mother and I went to his room together. As we arrived, my darling daughter left to go to the restroom, and thankfully was spared what was fixing to happen.
I had asked the wonderful ICU nurse, who had been working so hard with JD all night, “How long can he go on with that low of a blood pressure?” She said, “Not long.” Well, she was right, and JD was soon to leave us.
I had been intently watching the monitor— And at the very moment when his heart gave out, the numbers to his blood pressure just turned to lines. And THEN everything changed!
The nurse told us to go back to the waiting room, and his mother just ran out. I was very reluctant to leave, and they had to tell me again. Then all of a sudden, bells started going off, and everyone who had been sitting around jump up, and started running to JD’s room. It was as if everyone who worked on that floor in ICU was running towards my dear JD, as I was just slowly walking away, with this overwhelming sadness flooding my soul.
As I said at the beginning, My dear brother in the Lord did not die alone, and I am sure the trumpets were sounding in Heaven for his grand arrival!
I am so heartbroken over all this, but I know where JD is. God has given me the assurance that JD belongs to Him! I am certain he loved the Lord, and one day all those who love God too, will join JD in that glorious place that He has prepared for us!
While there is still time, let us be a living testimony to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, as JD was in his life, and now in his death.
May we boldly stand for what is right, and stand against what is evil, as God leads us by His Holy Spirit.
May we be pleasing to the Lord as we strive to love and serve our dear God, who gave His life so that we can have eternal Life with Him!
I ask God to please be with his children, and my sweet daughter who dearly loved her husband of seven years. This is one of the hardest things I have ever gone through, but now I understand.
I truly, truly appreciate the prayers of those who love and care about our family. I know that God hears the prayers of His faithful followers! Thank you so much for remembering us!
I pray that God will bless and keep you and your loved ones—always! ❤️
…I live in Augusta Ga we meet at the hospital on Ft Gordon, Ga. I worked in the dining facility, we talked every day… You gave me one of your books in 2009. I have read it 3 times– it was wonderful and I thank you for sharing it with me. I hope and pray that you and your family are doing well and staying safe. May you and your family be blessed and joyful in this time.
Thanks again for sharing…
Hi to my fellow brother in Christ!
It is wonderful to hear from you after so long! Yes, I remember you! Our time at Fort Gordon after the war was such a blessing to both of us. We met some very good people that I will never forget, and you are one of them! I will never forget that purple heart ceremony and the folks who came to show their support!
Yes, we are doing well–thank the LORD! We have been in much sorrow over the loss of our loved one as reflected in my post-“The Beauty of His Sunset,” but I thank God for His comfort! We are living in such a distressing time, and we surely NEED the LORD God in our lives!
I am so thankful to hear that you like my book. The book I gave you was the IV Edition, and I would love to send you the V (Victory Edition) that I published on 5 June 2015. It is a much more polished version. Writing my testimony is similar to our life in Christ–we go through a major refining process…, but of course we won’t meet Perfection until we see our LORD Jesus face to face! I am reminded of a passage of Scripture that reminds me of that process.
2 Peter 1:1 “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
2 Peter 1:3 According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2 Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2 Peter 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2 Peter 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2 Peter 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
2 Peter 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.”
Thank you again for getting in contact, and your very kind words about my Testimony! God bless and keep you and your loved one-always!
With the love of Christ,
C. Read
PS. Just let me know if you want a copy of the V-Edition.
Please note your post was edited for privacy reason… 🙂