June 2, 2024
“And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13 ~ The Message
Before the world turned from Friday to Saturday, my father-in-law, Daniel Robert Chamberlain passed away just 23 days shy of his 72nd wedding anniversary. Less than one tenth of one percent of all marriages in the U.S.. Dan, as I called him, would have been 92 in August. Although his death was not unexpected, it was nonetheless a shock, as all deaths of loved ones are. He fits the description of the Psalmist who wrote, “I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” Psalm 91:16 NLT
Dan and Joyce have 90 descendants and counting, an almost unbelievable number compared to the 17 descendants of my parents. Dan was a remarkable man, a supportive father, an encouraging father-in-law, an educator who served as president of Houghton College for 30 years. He was a man of deep and abiding faith, a talented singer, a fixer of all things mechanical and a fierce competitor in sports and games.
He was a story teller like his own father, and like his father, was wont to break out in song should it be triggered by a memory or a story. As he aged, he became more outwardly emotional, shedding tears when talking about the deaths of his parents, his oldest brother and sister, and his own sense of edging ever closer to the finish line.
He has been a father figure for me since my own father passed away 42 years ago, and essentially the only grandfather our sons remember. We are all deeply saddened, sensing a changing of the guard.
My husband Daniel Rodney, our son, Daniel Ray, and our grandson Daniel Ross are all Daniel R. Chamberlains. It is odd that there is now only DRC2 DCR3 and DRC4.
Right after he died, his wife Joyce said, “Well, he’s in a better place. But I AM NOT!” That just about sums up the death of loved ones, doesn’t it. We grieve the deaths of those we love, and we have hope. It’s a paradox of faith. Grief and hope mixed together in life and in death.
Hold us in your comforting arms, God of Love. ~ Anne
Wayfinding 