Dusk Til Dawn: The Waiting — Thursday
Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (NIV)
“Connor…” my Dad whispered.
“Hey Dad,” I said, wiping my eyes quickly.
The Markey Cancer Center rooms were long and spacious, with modern furniture and spectacular views of the Lexington skyline. Late at night, I’d sneak into Dad’s room and pull up a chair by his bed. Sometimes I would watch TV with the sound off. Some nights I would sit in silence, listening to the occasional beep of his vitals monitor. Some nights I just sat and prayed.
But on this particular night, I cried in the dark instead.
“How are you doing?” I sniffled, trying to play it off.
“What’s the matter, son?” he asked softly, looking me in the eye.
Dads always know.
He was down to less than half his playing weight, his gray hair sparsely growing back in after multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Complications from the aggressive treatment had left him a shell of who he once was, and left our family preparing for the inevitable.
Time was running out, and the odds of a comeback were slim for my larger-than-life hero.
My mind raced. What am I going to do without him? How am I ever going to do this on my own? Finally, I spoke to him through sobs.
“Dad, aren’t you scared?”
I had to know. I was twenty-six years old at the time, but suddenly, it felt more like I was five. After a few moments, he gathered his strength.
“Son, I know where I’ve been—and I know where I’m headed…”
At that moment, I realized my Dad wasn’t just lying in a hospital bed, waiting to die—he was waiting for Heaven. He understood that the gift God had waiting for him there was better than anything this world had to offer. Two weeks before Christmas, my dad received that gift.
Life is scary without your dad. Death is scary, too. Fortunately, our Father didn’t want us to be apart from Him either.
The sting of sin and death had separated us from God. However, Christmas celebrates that a baby was sent into a dark and lonely world—not only to die for us, but to reunite us with our Heavenly Father.
Because of what Jesus did, we have nothing to fear. Someday, I’ll stand before my Heavenly Father, and be reunited with my dad once again.
And honestly, I can’t wait.
Thursday’s Reflection
As we prepare for Christmas, give Jesus thanks for coming into our world, giving us hope, and bringing us back to our Father.
