The following is a message I gave at my dad's funeral. I had many people then and even later, say that they were helped and felt peace. I wanted to offer this message of hope, to each of you . . .
Maybe some of us have a hard time believing a God who knows us personally. Maybe, we can agree with the scripture..."For God so loved THE WORLD"... but, can we say, for God so loves ME?"
A few years ago, on a Saturday, right before Christmas, I was going to visit my dad, at the Nursing Home. I was struggling and agonizing over the visit. I felt I had nothing to give him. So I prayed to the Lord . . . I sensed Him saying, "will you make your dad, a Christmas card, using your Calligraphy?". I said, "No sweat, I can do that!" So I made the card and I felt I was instructed to use a certain scripture from the Bible and insert my dad's name. This is the scripture..."For unto you, Henry, is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
When I arrived at the Nursing Home, my dad was waiting in the hallway, in his wheelchair. I greeted him, kissed him and put the card on his tray. I kind of expected him to say "Tricky", (he would say that, if you gave him or showed him something, you bought or made . . . his way of saying, it was nice). But, what happened was totally unexpected by me. He looked at the card and read it. Then he started to weep and weep and weep. (I had never seen him cry). I believe, at that moment, my dad knew in a way, he had not previously known . . . God not only loved THE WORLD, but that he loved MY DAD, personally.
I sense God wants you to know that today! Yes . . . He loves the world and yes . . . he died for the sins of mankind, but He loves you personally and knows you intimately.
An Aaron Neville song says, "Lay down, my dear brother, lay down and take your rest . . . I want you to lay down your head upon your Savior's breast . . . I once loved you . . . but Jesus loves you best!"
I can confidently tell you today, that He, who knows you best, loves you most! If you do not know the Jesus, my Dad became personally acquainted with . . . I urge you to ask Him into your heart right now. There is no great theology to study -- no big hurdles to climb. Just come to Him, as a child would . . . just as you are. Just as my dad did.
You can all remember my dad, as being fiercely independent and self-sufficient. However, there was that day, he came to realize that a Savior was born to him personally and that he needed that Savior. This past summer, I was having a quiet time with the Lord. I sensed an urgency to write a letter to my dad, as if God were personally writing the letter. I would like to share it with you. Try to listen to it, as if it was written to you, because it really was written to you too!
My dear beloved son, Henry,
Fear not, for I am with you always. I knew you when you were being formed in your mother's womb. I am holding you, even now, by your right hand ~ I am the Lord, your God and I say to you, Henry, fear not, I am here to help you. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you and the fire will not burn you. Henry, you are precious and honored in my sight. I will not grow tired or weary of you. Even though others may forget you, I will never forget you. Henry, see I have indelibly imprinted a picture of you on the palm of each of my hands. Even when others forget, disappoint or fail you, I will not fail you, nor give up on you, nor leave you without support. I will never ever in any degree, leave you helpless, nor forsake, nor let you down or relax my hold on you, Henry. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. In my house, there are many dwelling places, if it were not so, I would have told you . . . for I am going to prepare a place for you, my son. When I go and make a place for you, I will come back again to get you and take you to myself, so that where I am, there you will also be. Henry, I promise to wipe every tear from your eyes and death will be no more ~ neither will you experience anguish, sorrow and mourning ~ or grief and any more pain ~ the old conditions will leave and Henry, you will be a new creation and you will dwell in my house with me forever. I am proud to call you my son.
Love,
Abba (Your Daddy God)
Presented on January 14, 1995 by Linda Kosinski-Maynard at the funeral service of Henry J. Kosinski, her beloved father.
Linda Kosinski-Maynard
You can send email to Linda at: [email protected]
mail welcome
anniversary date January 1995
date of post 09-15-97
