A friend and member of my church died this morning.  For the whole time I have known him, he has had cancer.

I want to tell you about his faith.  He inspired me.  He was dying, and he has two beautiful young kids.  And a wife, and he had so much going for him.

Stan had so many reasons to be so very angry.  He probably was, sometimes.  But most of the times, he and his wife both, they were able to praise God for his goodness and affirm his love. 

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, they have this song, “The Impression that I get”  The lyrics in the song are talking about this guy who has never been challenged by life, but he’s watched other people withstand lives tough stuff, and he wonders if he could.  That’s one of the things I feel about Stan.  He’s the guy who’s the real deal. 

I’m not asking to go through his trials.  My heart breaks for him and his wife and his children.  I just kind of want to share that he was this really great guy.

And I want to share that I should have known him better.  I don’t want to pass it off like we were best friends and hung out all the time.  He’s one of those people who I new I could learn a lot from.  And I don’t even have a standard execuse.   With most people, we have some good reasons to delude ourselves into thinking we’ve got all the time in the world.

Isn’t sad how I keep wanting to write about Stan but I keep coming back to myself?

If you’re a person who struggles with faith in the risen Christ, if you’d met Stan, he would have given you pause.  You would have watched Stan and you would have felt a little bit of your doubt eroding.  And if you believe in the truth of the risen Christ, you would have seen Jesus through Stan, Stacy, and the kids.

Go in peace, Stan.  I will see you again.

 

Stan you will be missed.  I am so looking foreward to a reunion in the next life.