Posted by rayww on January 31, 2005, at 22:53:12
In reply to 3 days till 1st anniversary of Dad's death, posted by corafree on January 30, 2005, at 14:38:37
My father died suddenly when I was 18 and there has not been one year pass that I haven't missed him. The anniversary of his death is always difficult to pass through, as are other days, like Father's day and his birthday. I try to focus on love, but anger often takes over. Whenever I have cried out for him, as you are now, something happens. One, it seems like my cries, though they are addressed to my dad, end up seeming like they are to God, as though they are one and the same. I have come to the conclusion that I have two fathers in heaven who both love and care about me, and who are united in wanting what's best for me. The second thing that happens is I receive comfort, and more oft than not, recognize his presence through a coincidence or a song or a sight, or a smell, or something that triggers a good memory. It is so real that I know my dad still lives. Only his physical body has been laid to rest, and the real person, his spirit, lives on, preparing a place for his family, awaiting the resurrection, etc.
At the times when I was particularly vulnerable I bought cards. Sympathy cards for myself, and Father's day cards for him, that expressed how I felt, and when I was ready I gave them away to others who needed them. The healing process takes time, and it is best handled through faith. I don't know how I would have ever handled it without my religion, because it is something I have always been able to trust, and has never let me down in its truth.
I pray that you might come to feel the peace that can be found through faith in Jesus Christ and that you will come to know the reality of your Father in Heaven. (s)
poster:rayww
thread:450190
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20050111/msgs/450834.html