Let me tell you the beautiful story of Suzette and her dad:  

I loved my dad very much. From the day I opened my eyes, I was his little girl, and he always called me his Baby when talking to others about me. 

When he got into the car, I got in too. I drove around almost everywhere with my dad. He used to work shifts at Iscor. 

As I grew older, my dad and I rode our bikes into town at the end of the month to pay the bills. We always stopped behind the OK Bazaar and walked everywhere we had to go. 

On the way home, he would buy each of us a cool drink and a sweetie. Then we would ride our bikes home, chatting all the way. 

Dad was my hero, the most beautiful man I knew, until I met my husband, Michael. I ended up marrying a man just like Dad. Loving, gentle, yet firm. 

I held my father in utmost respect. He provided for his children, loved us, and cherished our mom deeply. Twelve years ago, my mother passed away at the age of 69. Dad was also 69 at that time. 

For the last five years of his life, he had Parkinson’s – not really the ‘shaky’ part, but for the last two and a half years, he couldn’t walk at all. His whole body became stiff. 

I visited Dad regularly. We always had a good time. No matter what happened, we never doubted our love for each other. 

He was in the intensive care unit of a retirement home for the last two and a half years. Every moment I spent with him, I dedicated him to the Father, telling him he could go to heaven, because we would be okay. 

When he passed away in April of this year, I was by his side for the last four days of his life, and I was also with him when he died. I had this peace in my heart to let him go because I knew he loved the Lord and had served Him for years. He was ready to meet his Heavenly Father. 

Of course, I cried when he died, but I was so grateful that his earthly suffering was over and that he could now have a glorified body again. 

In recent months, I’ve missed him very much, sometimes wondering why I haven’t experienced a terribly intense grief – something I felt half guilty about, but today these words came to confirm it for me: “Love conquers the pain of death.” 

19We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. 

Scripture
1 John 4:7-21 

Reflection
What does God’s love for you do to you?
Where do you struggle to live that love?
To whom should you sow God’s love? 

Prayer
Father, thank you for loving me first, otherwise, I would’ve been nowhere. Help me to live it towards others who deserve it just as little as I do. Amen.