For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18)
I was happily married for forty years. I can recall asking her out on our first date late on a Saturday afternoon after seeing her play golf on the public golf course in York, Pennsylvania. Three years later, we were married in a chapel on the grounds of Greenwood Hills, a camp and conference retreat center that I attended during childhood. Candace and I shared a common love of the game and a common love for the Lord.
Life was good. In fact, life was great. Then, an unexpected illness took over both of our lives. For anyone who has had the challenge of being a caregiver for a spouse or a loved one, you understand what a test it can be. The day-to-day trials became a test of our faith, patience, character, and commitment. We were living each day reassuring each other of our promise, “in sickness and in health.”
Among the many reasons God tests us is to establish a personal testimony—usually one put on display for all to see. What better way to be a witness for Christ?
After slowly regressing for ten years, it was necessary to move Candace to a personal care facility. She was there for six years. Living apart for those years brought on indescribable loneliness. My non-believing golfing friends would say, “I wouldn’t blame you if you had a girlfriend.” My mother gave me some of the best advice and wisdom by asking me a simple question—“What would that do to your testimony?”
On February 10, 2021, the Lord called Candace home. Of the many things I learned during these difficult years, is this—Scripture encourages us with the news that glory follows suffering. We don’t know when that glory will arrive. For some, like Candace, the glory was revealed when Christ called her home. For others, his glory may be revealed while we are still living.
For me, a tiny glimpse of his glory was revealed when I was invited by Wally Armstrong to the Curahee Golf Club. I visited the beautiful North Georgia mountains to be on the set for the upcoming movie, The Mulligan. It impacted me so much. All I could say was, “Thank you, Lord, for giving me a glimpse of your glory.”
The beauty of the scenery, the majestic clubhouse and golf course (described as a cathedral in the movie), and the gathering of the saints represented by the cast of actors brought immeasurable joy into my life. This once-in-a-lifetime experience took place shortly after the Memorial Service for Candace. It felt like a taste of God’s glory after years of suffering.
Nearing the end of her time on earth, a caregiver asked Candace what her favorite verse was. She replied, without hesitation, “It is finished.” I am comforted knowing that Candace is witnessing the glory of the Lord in her heavenly home following sixteen years of suffering.
I have received unmatched peace and comfort by listening to hymns that testify to the greatness of our Savior. In particular, the ones where we are reminded that he is always with us. He supports us, shares our burdens, and directs our life’s path. The hymn that our family and friends sang at the graveside service for Candace was “Because He Lives.”
The chorus reads this way:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know who holds the future,
and life is worth the living just because He lives.
Prayer – Abba Father, I would humbly ask you to grant me the supernatural power to become the man that you intend me to be.