And the Angels Rejoiced!

I learned today that the father of some of my friends went to be with our Heavenly Father at about 8 o'clock. He was 56. He had been battling cancer, first skin cancer that came back as spots on his liver and lungs, then bone and lastly tumors on his brain. He was such an encouragement and such a wonderful blessing from The Lord to all those who knew him. He worked in the ministry on a college campus. He touched so many lives.

He leaves behind a legacy. A wife and thirteen children and several grandchildren as well. I have the honor of knowing his daughters. They are a sweet blessing to me and just a wonderful gift from God. I had the pleasure of meeting them last year. I got to know the daughters a little better through volleyball.

 

This past spring, there was a homeschool conference that my family attended and Mr. Randy spoke at it. What he said had such an impact on me. He was talking about family and finishing the race. The doctors had told him at the time that he didn't have very long to live but he and his family just kept trusting God. They knew that it wasn't what the doctors said that mattered but what God said. 

In the past couple of weeks, I've been seeing his daughters twice a week. They have been so strong. Jo, age fifteen, was talking to me about the peace. She basically said that she didn't want him to die, but that she had peace. Her faith astounded me. At fifteen she had something that most of us don't have and may never have. 

My heart aches for the family. But, through all of this, this is what they have to say:

"He hath made everything beautiful in it's time..." Tonight my precious daddy went to be with Jesus. Deliverance He promised came, just not in the way we expected. My father is now face to face with the love of his life...he is now resting from his labor. The Lord gives and He takes away, blessed be the name of The Lord..." 

This is from the second daughter. 

"My sweet Daddy entered into the gates of the kingdom of God last night at about 8:00,Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3 KJV) 
I am in perfect peace!;) praise the LORD! 
Love in CHRIST"

This is from Jo. 

Please keep this family in your prayers. I praise The Lord for all that He did, for Mr. Randy's life and ministry and the legacy he left behind. As I said before, his wife and thirteen children remain. The youngest of his children is seven.  Please pray that The Lord will continue to give them the peace that passes all understanding and that the legacy of his life may be remembered.

Thanks be to God for this man and for the blessing of his life.