Nathan was born.
This date serves only to remind us that he was indeed here. The date that matters the most to Nathan now is the day he made arrangements for what he would be doing when he left here. Nathan decided to put his hope in something bigger than himself and gave himself over to the salvation of Jesus Christ. He didn’t wait until he was older and had his fun, he didn’t wait until he knew everything there was to know about God. He knew all that he needed to know. He was a sinner and he needed the salvation of Jesus in order to avoid the cost of dying a sinner. He lived his life like a ransomed man. He breathed fully the complete freedom that comes from a relationship with Christ. I know where he is now and it is not because he lived a good life, though he did, but because he accepted the free gift of life that is offered to all people though the blood of Jesus. Nathan was baptized into this faith and walked away a changed man with a hope for the future. Knowing this makes me want to throw my head back and sing, laugh and cry all in one instant.
I learned many lessons from the time I spent with Nathan and the time that has passed since he left, but the most important one that I want to impart is this: It doesn’t matter what we do down here to make ourselves successful, rich, beautiful or all important. It doesn’t matter what pitfalls of deceit, pain, regret, or destruction we must overcome. What matters is that God is real. Heaven is real. Sin is real and death is real. In the end we will all come to know that fully, even if there are those who don’t believe that now. When faced with that day, I know I can throw my head back and actually sing, laugh, and cry all in one instant. I know where I will be. I say that with no smugness, just ultimate relief and pleasure in the One who sought to save a mess up like me.
24 years ago today…
July 28, 2005
Sarah says:
you state it very well.
I was praying for you and your family today.
Love ya!
July 28th, 2005 at 9:33 pm
Dirtbug says:
Well put Amy. Thanks for your thoughts.
July 29th, 2005 at 4:46 am
Mom says:
Amy, I have laughed cried and sang all at the same time several times today. And even at the worst of worst I praise God because of the hope we have and the fulfillment of that hope that Nathan now sees. I am truly a blessed woman for I have been blessed by children that love the Lord, truly there is none richer than me. …mom
July 29th, 2005 at 5:16 am
Ginger says:
Thank you for not quenching the Spirit on Nathan’s birthday and speaking from the heart. I love you and miss you dearly!
July 29th, 2005 at 5:58 am
Ruth Ann says:
Beautiful…thank you.
July 29th, 2005 at 6:11 am
Courtney & Co. says:
Thank you for sharing a little bit of Nathan with the rest of us.
July 31st, 2005 at 4:58 pm
LtArnoldROTC says:
Thank you sharing about Nathon. I admired so much about him. He affetced so many people even at his young age. I had the privaledge to see him get baptised.
Hey Amy whats been going on? I think our entire family is getting into this blog thing. So i just had to follow suit. Here is the adress to my xanga site.
http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=LtArnoldROTC
drop by and comment sometime.
Love
Jeremy Arnold
August 1st, 2005 at 3:30 am
FreeInHim94 says:
I have four younger brothers. None of them know the Lord. I have been a believer for 11 years and I think the only thing I’ve succeeded in doing consistently is annoying them with my “christianness.” My middle brother is moving to Knoxville on Thursday and I am heartbroken about that (as it is, I see all of my brothers 2-3 times a week…none of us have ever lived that far away from home, either). Your post sort of snapped me back to what is really important, though. First, God’s design for us as individuals and as siblings is SO much better than anything I could try to create on my own and second, I’ve wasted a lot of time. Life is short. It is to be expected that the things of God will be foolishness to my brothers…but I confess their response has hurt me and caused me to hold back with them or pray less because it is painful. That is the opposite of what I should do. I am sad that one of my brothers is moving away…but praise God that they are all alive and well and we have phones and e-mail and nieces to keep us connected to each other! I only pray I can be faithful to make better use of the time and pray and hope and love them like crazy…as unto the Lord.
Thank you!!
–tina
August 9th, 2005 at 9:29 am
Jana says:
Hey Amy,
I can’t tell you how Nathan has really touched my daughters lives through Kadesh. They go every year and the last 2 years they have talked about Nathan. The girls come back with amazing stories of ordinary niceness that accomplished extraordinary results!
It encourages them. Thanks Jana
August 12th, 2005 at 5:17 pm