THE life

"He who has the Son, has life;
He who does not have the Son, does not have life."
1 John 5:12

the days have been long and hard. 
i really have had no words. certainly not the right words. 

an incredible husband, loving father, great friend, brother and son. a hero. 
Major W. David Gray was in killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday, August 8th, 2012. 
his lovely wife is a dear friend. 
his three beautiful children call us Miss Kim and Mr. Manny and seriously love our Baby Joshua.
i didn't know David all that well, but the short time i spent with him i knew one thing- he was a servant of Jesus Christ. he lived his life to glorify the King. and in his death God is so glorified.

the pain has been, at times, enough to make me want to throw up. 
the tears come easily and quickly. 
it hurts. 
to know that such an amazing man was taken from this life, just too early for our earthly understanding. 
i've been clinging to this Truth:
 "God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
"
Psalm 46:1-7

 the Word also tells us... "better is one day in Your courts than thousands elsewhere" psalm 84:10
and yesterday as hundreds gathered in the big chapel to honor and celebrate the life of a hero we know that is true... David is spending eternity worshiping the King of Kings, the Name above all Names, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
and as we honored and celebrated we stood in the Truth of Christ's promise: 
 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile —the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10: 9-13

David lived his life to honor God. he was Christ to all he met, to all he served, to all he loved. 
his life was the ultimate testimony of Christ's love, forgiveness, and promise. 
David has the Son, he has THE life. 

it's hard to fathom how we go on from here... 
as a friend wrote this morning: 
"Maybe revival's fire will begin to burn a little in each of us and we will channel our inner David Gray and tell our friends and neighbors how much Jesus loves them, not just in words but by being living examples of Christ's love and by putting others needs ahead of our own. Thanks David for inspiring me and I'm sure countless others."

pray for heather and her beautiful children. 
pray for the hard days ahead as they travel for more services and David's final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery.
pray for peace and strength beyond all understanding. 
pray for grace and love. 
pray for the days when there's no one there and the pain is too much to bear. 
pray for soft hearts and that Satan may have no grasp.
pray that David's legacy would continue to live on and serve as a testimony of what it means to serve the Lord with your whole life, even to the point of ultimate sacrifice.

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