August 13th, 2022
by Ivey Rhodes
by Ivey Rhodes
Right before he got up to preach, he said, "I don't feel well," grabbed my mom's shoulder, and collapsed to the ground. What started out as a normal Sunday changed our family forever.
This Wednesday we celebrate my dad's 19th "Life Day." The weekend before I started college, my dad had a catastrophic medical event where all but one layer of his upper aorta ripped wide open. We got him to the hospital and were told that they would do what they could, but he was probably going to die. We said our goodbyes, and they sent him to surgery. By God's grace and the prayers of thousands, he lived! While the journey of recovery would be long and difficult, that was the day the Lord gave him life again. And the day we celebrate every year.
He is well aware that his story is not the story for so many. There are many that have events like this, or even less catastrophic, and don't live. He doesn't take a single day of his life for granted.
Even after all my dad has been through, and all the pain and difficulties he faces daily, he has said to me on multiple occasions how good God has been to him. God has been so good to him that somedays he feels like, "He's living in a dream." His life is just so good he can't believe it.
My dad has a better understanding of God's goodness than many of us. An understanding that doesn't fade with the shifting circumstances and pains of life but sees God's goodness in his daily struggle.
Tomorrow we're going to explore God's goodness. My prayer is that it helps you see the incomprehensible goodness of God in a way that can encourage you to greater faithfulness. I can't wait to worship with you at 10 AM tomorrow!
This Wednesday we celebrate my dad's 19th "Life Day." The weekend before I started college, my dad had a catastrophic medical event where all but one layer of his upper aorta ripped wide open. We got him to the hospital and were told that they would do what they could, but he was probably going to die. We said our goodbyes, and they sent him to surgery. By God's grace and the prayers of thousands, he lived! While the journey of recovery would be long and difficult, that was the day the Lord gave him life again. And the day we celebrate every year.
He is well aware that his story is not the story for so many. There are many that have events like this, or even less catastrophic, and don't live. He doesn't take a single day of his life for granted.
Even after all my dad has been through, and all the pain and difficulties he faces daily, he has said to me on multiple occasions how good God has been to him. God has been so good to him that somedays he feels like, "He's living in a dream." His life is just so good he can't believe it.
My dad has a better understanding of God's goodness than many of us. An understanding that doesn't fade with the shifting circumstances and pains of life but sees God's goodness in his daily struggle.
Tomorrow we're going to explore God's goodness. My prayer is that it helps you see the incomprehensible goodness of God in a way that can encourage you to greater faithfulness. I can't wait to worship with you at 10 AM tomorrow!
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