To live and die in Christ

My dad soul is gone to heaven and dwells within me. I raced up the Atlanta where my family of siblings and extended family had said their farewell. I prayed and trusted and asked God that I would make it there before my Dad, Joesph Reynold's death. I was not able to see my mom before she died 15 years ago. It is and was very important for me to pay my last respects and thank the people who sacrificed so much for our famly.
I was at Kenny's and Hayley's house when I got a message from my brother that my dad's time on this earth was coming to an end. I immediately raced up to Atlanta from Charlotte. I made it at about 1AM and Dad was still alive and breathing very shallow. My brothers and sisters were there and said to me that they told my Dad I was coming. As soon as I walked in the room I was grief stricken at how poorly my Dad looked. After wiping away tears, I got close to his ear and told that that Chris was here. I was the only family member who he had not said goodbye. He immediately moved and turned and since he could not speak due to strokes he tried to say something.. I stayed all night as my siblings left to get some sleep as I was on the night shift. I prayed with Dad the Lord's Prayer, the 23rd Psalm, Isaiah 58 and told him Jesus was already here and that Mom was waiting for him. He had no life support or tubes sticking out of him and he chose a DNR order, so he was not plugged into anything and died as the mechanism was worn out. His spirit was always willing, but his flesh was only mortal. He just breathed shallower and shallower as I wetted his lips and gave him cold compresses as he used to love. I looked down for a moment and looked up and he was gone at 6AM. I knew his spirit was gone from his body as it was only an empty vessel. God treated me to 6 hours with my Dad and being there with him when he left for heaven. What an incredible spiritually intense experience almost to hard to share, witness and bear, but nonetheless, one in which I will treasure and take with me the rest of my life. Thank you Jesus.

I feel him inside me in my heart forever. That does not mean I miss him dearly as he loved each one of us with unconditional love and his favorite saying was, "oh you are my favorite" while you were with him, and we all were his favorites. We never in 15 years fought once over Dad's care as it was sacred work for us to do. We loved taking care of him and he loved us for it as well. We got so much more than we could ever give our Dad. His faith was unshakable throughout his whole life and so was his God's power working through him to biind us and many others that he met together.

I now must bring to Christ's feet my grief and sadness , my anger that I cannot see him anymore,my joy in his restoration and renunion with Christ, my realization it is another step toward God and that I must learn to be with God's Kingdom inside my heart and soul to still share and see him as I am now one of those that are left behind. Easier said than done for me. I pray for all those left behind to let God heal thier wounds and know that life is part of death and death is part of life.