Strong Enough

I’ve wanted to write a post as a tribute to my brother and my father-in-law. I just never knew what to say, how to say it, or even how to start it. I have all these thoughts running through my head, but when I start to put them in writing it’s a big old mess!

It’s hard to believe that Duane had been fighting his cancer battle for nearly three years. My brother fought for 14 months. I never in a million years dreamed that we would lose them within three days of each other. Never dreamed that it would be the week of Christmas. Never really wanted to dream that it would ever happen in the first place I guess.

I think it was easier to pretend that cancer was not ravaging their bodies on the inside. It was hard watching these two big strong men lose their muscle, lose their body strength, and have to rely on others for help.  I think Cory and I were convincing ourselves that, “It’s our dad…or… it’s our brother…they are strong enough to fight this.”

I kept praying that they would make it through Christmas.  But the Lord had other plans – he wanted them in Heaven for Christmas. It’s easy to be angry and ask God why he would take them away during such a holiday, a time to be with family, a time to rejoice in his son’s birth! But then someone pointed out what better time to go Home.  Jesus was born into the world to bring light! If there was no ‘reason for the season’ we would not have faith that we would see them again.

After they had passed away, I received a message from  friend of ours that we met in Haiti. She told me how she had been praying for Duane and Justin and when she found out that they had both passed away, she also questioned why God would take them both away from us in such a short amount of time. God’s answer to her was: “Because they were strong enough”

I stood stunned – and then it hit me.

There are not enough words to describe their love of life, their love of family, their commitment to others. I could go on and on about the acts of kindness, their generosity, how honorable they were, how hard they worked, etc.

But what really matters is: They were strong enough for God to choose THEM.

Now you have to realize, our friend has obviously never met Justin and Duane. She is going solely on what she heard from the Lord. And she couldn’t have nailed it on the head more.

You see, throughout their battles and especially at the end of their days, their faith radiated. They were both ready to go to Heaven. They worried about us family members left here on Earth, but they were not afraid. They were not bitter. They were at peace. They talked about Heaven, what they would do there, how they would send signs to us here on Earth so we knew that things were ok.

They were strong enough.

My hope is that I will be as strong as them when my time comes.