Let it be said of us....

As of about 5:30 last night, Mark went to be with the Lord, as his family and close friends stood around him. It is never easy to watch someone pass away before your very eyes. However, the fact that Mark knew Christ as his Lord and Savior put a bit of sweetness into the bitterness of sorrow that we feel. We know that he is with his Lord, and he is rejoicing in His presence. But, still, there is the grieving...grieving for Angie's loss of a husband, for Nolan's loss of his daddy, for Jim and Barb's loss of a son, for Matt, Mandy, and Amy's loss of a brother, for our loss of a cousin and a friend....the list of Mark's roles here on this earth go on and on. I know that God has a plan, and for whatever reason, He called Mark home to be with Him. I cling to that. I know Angie is clinging to that. I pray that others will cling to that. The huge amount of prayer that the family received from Christians all around the world was astonishing. Christ was definitely glorified through this all. Mark would have been thrilled about that. I thank the Lord for the Godly example Mark was. I only pray that my testimony here on this earth would reflect the same qualities. I pray that the presence of Christ would be evident in my life as it was in Mark's. There is a song that I posted in a comment on Mark's blog and that I will post here because the lyrics are what I desire of my life and what Mark showed in his.

"Let It Be Said of Us

Let it be said of us that the Lord was our passion,
That with gladness we bore ev’ry cross we were given,
That we fought the good fight, that we finished the course,
Knowing within us the pow’r of the risen Lord.

Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
By mercy made holy,
By the Spirit made strong
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
‘Til the likeness of Jesus
Be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song.

Let it be said of us: We were marked by forgiveness,
We were known by our love and delighted in meekness,
We were ruled by His peace, heeding unity’s call,
Joined as one body that Christ would be seen by all.

Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
By mercy made holy, by the Spirit made strong
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song,
‘Til the likeness of Jesus
Be through us made known.
Let the cross be our glory
And the Lord be our song."

I feel immense sorrow right now for the loss of Mark. But, I am so very thankful for the sweetness there is in the hope of Christ, and through this all, that still remains. Through this tragic event (humanly speaking), our great God is still on the throne. Christ still died for sinners. He still rose from the tomb. He still is in glory with God the Father. Mark is now with Christ experiencing that glory that is beyond our earthly comprehension. Those truths still remain true. Praise God for that!