In a tear…

In a tear. Through a tear. With a tear… Jesus shows the way.

In the quiet moments of the morning on May 5, 2010, Donald William Cargo showed us the way, too.

His four children, his beloved wife, and a few others were gathered at his bedside. His body, no longer able to fight the ongoing physical battle, was shutting down. And we were there—to walk with him through the uncertainty, into the power of the promise. Into hope. We were there to listen and learn, to wonder and pray, to sing and cry and read and assure…

We wondered—sometimes aloud—how much Dad could hear or understand. But several times during those hours together, often after a story, or a moment of laughter, or a pause to cry… a tear would well up in the corner of his eye. Just a tear.

In that tear… love.
In that tear… pain.
In that tear… commitment.
In that tear… a blessing.
In that tear… courage.
In that tear… power.
In that tear… a secret word to Eunice.
In that tear… a powerful legacy passed on to Bruce, Liz, Mary, and Bill.
In that tear… an embrace to those who were family without shared genetics.
In that tear… a call to arms for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In that tear… a fist in the face of the evil one.
In that tear… a thank you.
In that tear… goodbye.

If Jesus could speak through a tear, then why not Don? He said so much without a word.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” ~ Revelation 21:1–4

And so… at 12:50 P.M. on May 5, 2010… Don’s tears stopped, even as ours continued.

In a tear, we find courage.
In a tear, we find promise.
In a tear, we find companionship.
In a tear, we find our commissioning.

Until He wipes them away,
Until death is no more,
Until the mourning stops,
Until the pain subsides…

In a tear.