Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.*
At 2:50 A.M. the phone rang: “Hello, is this Mr. Ingo, Glen’s son?” I answer; “Yes.” The person on the other end says; “This is (Sue), your dad’s nurse. I am sorry to have to tell you this but he passed away just moments ago.” I ask what happened and the nurse said apparently a heart attack. There it was; the phone call I had been dreading for the past three weeks. Although I knew it was a matter of time for him given all his chronic medical conditions I never expected it to happen this way. But then again, I guess we are never ready to hear such news. Often he would tell me how tired he was and how he yearned to go to heaven. Two weeks earlier he had told me that he felt God had forgotten him. That it had been so long since God put him on earth that He had forgot he was here! I assured him that God knew exactly where he was and would find him when he needed him.
I am going to miss him and mom until I can be there with them one day. As the choir sang and the preacher preached during his service, my mind was racing with many thoughts. Wonder who he is talking to right now? Wonder what Jesus is telling him? Wonder what he is seeing and hearing right now? Of course there was no way for me to know. One thought came to mind as the preacher was reading his chosen Scripture passages; Dad is seeing the Word while I sit here listening to it!
As much as I dreaded experiencing the feelings of grief that come with such a loss God somehow caused my heart to be in joyful serenity. As warm tears found their way out of my eyes and down my cheeks, my heart was warmed and comforted. A gift from the Holy Spirit! My body grieved while my soul rejoiced. I am still grieved somewhat by his passing but I take comfort in knowing that he is not grieving! This text message I sent to my best friend, whom I consider my adopted brother, later that morning sums it up for me; “The Old Saint has gone home.”
* The New King James Version. 1982 (Psalm 116:15). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
