The Kindness of Others

Since I started the challenge to post every day in October about living in England, I really wanted to continue on today, but the day got away from me with school and church tonight.  And in the middle of our time with our church family here, KJ got a text that a friend and member of our church back home had suddenly died.  And it's hard to think about anything else but his wife and daughter and the scores of others who will be hurting and missing him in the months and years to come.

I thought I would just share a little bit about our friend, Bruce, because without his support and the support of so many others like him, we couldn't have made this move to England, following what we believed was God's leading in our lives.  Bruce was a huge encouragement to us.  I will never forget the night he and Jennifer had us over for dinner, and he spoke such words of encouragement.  He believed in us and believed that God had a plan for our family in England.  He was generous toward us and told us to call on him if we ever had any needs he could help us with.  He was so full of joy.

In God's providential kindness we had a really good chat with him over Skype about a week and a half ago, and I'm so grateful for that.  K.J. and Bruce's last words to each other were, "See you again soon!"  Our next meeting will be soon, and because of Jesus it will last forever.

"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed

about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like

the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 

For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,

and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus

those who have fallen asleep in him...

Therefore encourage one another with these words."

- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 18 - 

This was Bruce guarding our carry-on luggage the day we left

while we were busy getting checked in at the airport.