Ushered into glory...

This week, 2 men were ushered into glory.

The first, into eternal glory into the arms of a waiting Father;

The second man, into an earthly glory, the office of the President of the United States of America. I will address the second man whom we all know by now as Barack Obama in another post.

But for today, I want to tell you about a man I actually never spoke to, but have been praying for for some time. The Father's love for him overflowed in my heart, as does the grief I feel this day, mixed with the wonder of him reunited with His Father, knowing joy unbounded.

His name is Richard and he, his wife and 2 sons sat a couple of rows down from me in the Sunday service for quite some time. He was easy to notice. He looked like he stepped out of a GQ magazine, with the elegance of John Kennedy Jr. and the good looks of Pierce Brosnan. Then, it was announced that headaches he had been experiencing were traced to a brain tumour. Some time much later, I was so saddened to see that he had lost the vision in one eye. That short curly dark hair was missing. This was not the face I had grown used to seeing. I saw him holding his head in pain. I felt a loss. I felt at a loss. Not him!

How could this happen? He was so young. His wife is young. His sons are young.

We, as a congregation started praying in earnest. We hoped and prayed. The news seemed to get worse. We prayed some more. Then last week, ground-breaking surgery was performed by the most qualified surgeon in the world for this procedure. It was deemed 100% successful!

Wow, we were overjoyed and were sure God was about to display His unparalleled glory.

Then the next day, he suffered a massive stroke, was placed on life support. After 72 hours, the plug was pulled and he passed on to glory, leaving behind a wife who would no longer have her best friend and love of her life at her side, and 2 beautiful sons. It certainly did not make sense, but that does not make God senseless; just the God whose thoughts and plans are not ours, but perfect in wisdom, love and intent.

Today, I attended his memorial service. His life spanned 39 years. So very young. Moving tributes from friends spoke of a man who bridged gaps, a friend to all, a team player, a man who loved Jesus. But the most telling of all was the poem his son, 10-years-old, wrote:

I went on your bike, when I still rode a trike,

The place we lived was Vaughan, and you cut the lawn.

One day we hiked, which we really liked,

After that we went for a swim, just when it was getting dim,

At the twilight, just before the night,

We had a fire, and sang like a choir.

Now you've left us for the sky, you were the best kind of guy.

I'll hold you close within my heart; we'll never really be apart.

God loves you and so do I, now it's time to say goodbye.

My last memory of him was of a man intentionally loving his son, giving him his 100% attention as he knelt down to talk with him eye to eye. I stood transfixed when I saw that, for I knew it was an eternal moment. I drew this sketch today in his memory.

Richard Ramos

1969 - 2008

I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7

Please sing along as you listen to the song chosen by Richard's 2 sons as the song their Dad loved to sing with them:



As I walked past his wife, feeling the weight of her grief and the emptiness of a road without her spouse and the father of her 2 boys, God gave me a gentle impression inside, that it is a new page for Suzie, one on which He will write, and she and her 2 sons will know the restoration of hope and joy again. A new chapter to be written, with freedom as a key word. Thank You, Lord.