Abraham and Joe

This morning as I sat down to do my Quiet Time, I couldn't wait to get into the Word and see what God desired to show me today. I opened my Bible Study and saw that it was going to be about Abraham. It started with focusing on how God uses people to comfort us in our times of loss (see Genesis 24:67). It asked me to think of someone who has either comforted me during a time of loss or someone has replaced one that you are distanced from. All that I could think of was Zeria. She has become my trustworthy, loyal, and loving friend. She has helped me through transitioning to life in Zambia and given me the friend that I needed.

Then the Bible Study guided me to truly examine Abraham's life in Scripture, especially in Hebrews 11. Abraham walked with God for 100 years and was obedient to God in many things: living in a foreign land, faced tests willing, believed he would be a father (Romans 4:18), trusted God to guide him (James 2:23), and he was a friend of God (Galatians 3:8-9). Abraham was so faithful because he had hope, "hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He would promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23. Hope that is only found in Jesus Christ, hope that He will return, and hope for those who have believed in Him and called on His name will reign with Him in Heaven after their life is over.

The study then asked me to name the things I would want to share with Abraham that you appreciated most about his story...among a long list...I wrote..unwavering obedience, trusted God always.

The entire time that I was spending time studying God's Word, Grandaddy Joe was in my mind.

I completed my Quiet Time and began the day.

An hour later my phone rang, my mother was on the other end and gently told me that Grandaddy had passed away.

Time stopped, my heart froze, childhood memories of fishing and laughing with him flooded my mind, I wept.

My mother was strong...she told me that he wasn't suffering anymore (she was right) and that he was dancing with my Grandmother in Heaven (she was right).

It sank in when I hung up the phone. My heart hurts, I am wanting to be home, but God has called me to this foreign land to serve Him in OBEDIENCE, to be FAITHFUL.

Kendall comforted me and remembered Grandaddy with me.

Then, Zeria entered my room...threw her arms around my neck and cried with me. "Amai Joy...I am so sorry....so sorry." Remember what I had just studied about? Zeria was the person that I knew that God had placed in my life. She truly was the friend that I needed today. She loved me and wept with me.

The longer that I pondered this morning's events...I realized that I was thinking of Grandaddy's faithfulness and the life of Abraham at the time that Grandaddy went to be with Jesus. The verse that was the treasure for today in my study was:

"Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man full of years; and he was gathered to his people." Genesis 25:8

Joe Baugh was a 95 year old with a 20 year old heart. He was full of life, energetic, and most of all a child of God and follower of Jesus Christ.