Gripped by God’s Grace (Part 3)

How has it been three months since my Dear Dad was ushered into heaven?

What a strange time it’s been. I’m super grateful for God’s Amazing Grace that has carried me and my family thus far and will continue to carry and comfort us.

I thought this would be a good time to stop and reflect and share a little more about what’s been helping me up to this point.

As I recently heard that one of my college roommates just lost her dad, I’m reminded that our loved ones are only here for a set time. I’m also reminded that we all go through our own journey of grief.

I hope something in this blog post and the “Gripped by God’s Grace” series will help to encourage you along your journey.

If I had to describe my journey so far, I would say I’ve gone through three phases.

Phase 1 – Accept

After the initial onset of shock and sadness and grief and more, by God’s grace, I slowly started moving into the acceptance phase. For me, that meant slowly realizing and accepting that I’m not going to see my Dad again until I get to heaven. I won’t be getting a phone call from him again.  The only way I can see and hear him now is through photos and videos. It’s not an easy process, but I’m grateful that I do have tons of memories and stories and photos and videos and mementos that I can treasure for years to come. Although I can’t bring my Dad back, I can help to keep his memory alive and honor him in the present and future.

Phase 2 – Adjust and Adapt

The brutal reality is that I won’t see my Dad here on earth again. And so, I must learn to go on with my new normal and adapt. I must adjust and continue to live and find reasons to smile and laugh and go on and to make new memories with mi familia. He would want that. And God wants that for me. I can’t go through life looking through the lens of shoulda, woulda, coulda or what ifs and if onlys. I must forge ahead and live by the values that God has given me and that my parents have instilled in me. Now I delight in sharing some of my favorite stories and memories and photos of my Dad and look for new ways to honor him. Lately, I’ve been wearing jewelry on Zoom calls that my Dad gifted me from Ecuador. I recently said yes to being the sole Latina speaking at a Christian online forum on race and culture and helped to represent Hispanics. My Dad would have been THRILLED to see me help represent mi gente, as he was very proud of his Ecuadorian roots and had a long history of fighting for immigrants’ rights. During the online event, I actually had a pin that my Dad gave me nearby to represent that I was doing this in his honor. I look forward to continuing to honor my Dad’s legacy in various ways, and as the Lord leads. Stay tuned for an upcoming post about how to keep your loved one’s memory alive.   

Phase 3 – Advance

We’re not meant to wallow in sorrow forever. We’re meant to receive God’s extravagant comfort and grace and peace and strength and love day by day.

God makes us resilient. God helps us grow and mature. God walks with us every step of the way.

Early on, one of the verses that helped me was when King David heard that his son had died. He replied, “But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:23)

By faith, David knew that he would be reunited with his son one day.

By faith, I know I will see my Dad again in heaven.

So, what am I to do now?

I’m to continue moving forward and living a life that honors God and the call He’s placed on my life.

I’m also to continue honoring my parents.  

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

I can continue to honor my Dad, even now that it’s after his days.

Here’s just a glimpse of what my Dad stood for:

• Loving family
• Loving life
• Loving God
• Working hard
• Helping his community
• Being generous
• Enjoying life and hardy laughs
• Being a good storyteller and natural public speaker
• Staying connected to your roots
• Going on adventures
• Loving nature
• Being good
• Being happy
• Being healthy
• Aiming high
• Climbing high (even literally when it came to the Andes mountains)
• Getting the job done
• Aspiring for more
• Continuously learning
• Trying new things
• Keeping old values
• Making a difference
• Living in the moment
• Teaching others
• Welcoming others
• Being part of historic events (more on that another time)

Perhaps I will expound on the above list in a future post.

In the meantime, I hope you’re also feeling God’s loving presence as you travel along your journey.

May you be at peace knowing that YOU are gripped by God’s Amazing Grace! 

If you’d like to share what’s helped you through your journey of losing a parent or other loved one, please feel free to comment below or on Abounding Faith’s Facebook page.

If you’d like to read more about my Dad, you can read about some of our adventures in By Faith: Adventures and Reflections on Walking With God Here and Abroad.

You can also check out these blog posts I’ve written over the years:

• Gripped by God’s Grace (Part 1)
• Gripped by God’s Grace (Part 2)
• That’s My Dad – A Tribute
• Lesson Learned from My Dad
• Over the Moon: My Connection to Apollo 11
• Let Your Light Shine
• Lost and Found

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