For some reason Steve Hills passing has hit me hard. Really, really hard. Maybe its because Im feeling. Remembering. Identifying. Im just plain hurting for his wife. Or maybe Im just feeling my own pain. The kind that goes really deep. The kind that defies description. Maybe its the inevitable shock that sets in when you just didnt see something like this coming. Sure, we all knew hed been battling cancer for years. And we knew what the prognosis was. But we also knew God had raised him up from his deathbed once before. We saw how, like Hezekiah, Hed seen fit to give him more time. Most of all we knew that the same God Who created him could heal him. And we wonder why. Of course, we as believers know our brother is now experiencing more love, more joy, more peace than we could ever imagine. This alone should be enough to set our feet to dancing and leaping for joy. But then there is his wife, Geri, now facing a life without her husband. And her children, now facing a life without their father. Then theres the rest of us. Were all still here. Grieving. Feeling this huge void. Facing a world that no longer includes the presence and impact of this powerful man of God. And the question...at least for me...is not so much Lord, why did you take him home so soon? I realized long ago that there are some questions that will never be answered on this side of heaven. No. The question for me is this... Why am I still here? Why? When such a dynamic man of God...one who gave so much, who had so much more to give...is no longer in our world? I cant help but wonder if Billy Graham is asking the same question. He has been with us for 90 long, incredibly fruitful years. Truly he has led a full life and has been more than ready to go home for some time now. Yet he is still here. And 60 year old Steve Hill is not. Gods ways are beyond understanding sometimes. but the reality is this... I am still here. Geri is still here. His children are still here. And so are you. So what do we do with all this? We remember Gods promise to work all things together for our good and His glory. And we make the most of it. We find our purpose and fulfill it. We recognize all over again how fleeting life can be. We remind ourselves that we are never promised tomorrow. And we love as much as is humanly possible. We love til it hurts. Then, with Gods grace, we love some more. Most of all we forgive. We mend fences. We fix what we can fix in as much as it is in our power to do so, thereby making our list of regrets--that paralyzing, heartbreaking list of what-ifs and if-onlys--as short as possible. So, from the bottom of our hearts we thank you, Steve Hill. For the gift of your life. For this much needed reminder that our life too is a gift. And for the shining example youve been for us in laying down your own for others. Finally, we thank you, Lord, for the precious gift of Steve Hill.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 18:12:28 +0000
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