Where He leads...: A good friend of mine died last night.

A good friend of mine died last night.

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A good friend of mine died last night, and yet I'm having trouble convincing myself that he is actually dead—that he is no longer on this earth.

I guess that's what it's like whenever you are separated by distance. Someone you may only see once a year, when gone, your life eerily goes on as before. You wouldn't have expected to see them tomorrow anyways, but you had assumed you would see them again.

It's not like the situation with Tiffany's friend, Darrell, a man she worked with and saw regularly from 9-5. A man who she notices daily is no longer around. A man she misses. A friend she admired.

With Bob—my friend—I am having trouble convincing myself he's gone.

I'm sure that his wife is not having this trouble.

No, his wife is having troubles of a different kind. The trouble of realizing every second of every minute that he is not there—that he is not coming back. The trouble of remembering her last moments with him—perhaps as he walked out the door for a routine errand, telling her he will see her in a couple of hours. The trouble, that despite her peace of knowing he is in a better place, she will have no more days on this earth with the man, the love of her life, that she has spent the past several decades with—by his side and no other.

I'm sad for this loss. My friend who every time I would visit West Tennessee, I'd have the blessing of meeting him and his wife, Geraldine, at McDonald's—my granddaddy's social hotspot. Bob and Geraldine would walk in, smiles beaming to see me. To see the changes life has brought me and to hear about my latest adventures. Bob would give me a hug, a kiss on the cheek, and call me his girlfriend. He would brag on his grandkids and show me a photo he kept in his wallet of "his Hannah", his beloved sister who had passed away years before. I never met her, but if she was anything like her younger brother, what a gem I'm certain she was.

I miss my friend. I don't like it when God takes a life from this earth unexpectedly. It's too difficult for my mind to comprehend the reasoning behind that. But I know… I truly know… that I must trust God. To find peace in knowing that God is sovereign, that He is in control, and that He doesn't make mistakes. Does that make it any easier? Not really. But I can thank God for allowing me the years of knowing Bob since I was a little girl. Growing up with an extra grandpa who supported me, encouraged me, prayed for me, and loved me.

He would have spent today with my granddaddy. They had made plans to see the air show, something they had done years before and enjoyed so much. I guess Bob had an air show of his own—a meeting not with planes or pilots, but with the One who created Him and who does all things by His perfect timing. I trust that God welcomed Him last night with open arms, much in the same way as Bob always welcomed me.

"We forget how precious each day is and how it can all be over so quick. Our faith in a better life, that Our Lord has promised, sustains us, but our memories are real and long lasting. I know that I will try to be thankful for each day and to see the best in others." – George Younger, my granddaddy