Bob at Gratitude and Hoopla points us to this series of posts from Worship Madly (now on the blogroll). Read these posts if you get a chance. Greg’s story of his wife Denise’s death and the struggle of faith involved in that is heartwrenching, worshipful and God glorifying, all at the same time.

A few minutes before 3am I knew I had to get some “rest”. My sister agreed to keep watch and pray over Nece…and I stretched out in the chair…”I love you Nece”, but I knew there would be no reply this time…Oh how wanted to hear those words…my favorite words that I’d heard every single night for almost 8 years…”I love you too, Moshe…” but not this time…not ever again…

My sister swears that Denise was waiting for me to go to sleep…the instant that I started to snore, the strangest and most beautiful thing happened…Denise lifted her head and looked with her blinded eyes towards the door…and she smiled. My sister says it was the biggest, most beautiful smile she had ever seen…my Nece smiled…and she was gone. My sister woke me and she was half laughing, half crying…she was more excited than I’ve ever seen her. She was trying to be sensitive to me, but…she had just watched my wife enter into glory. She was allowed to watch as Nece heard her Bridegroom call her name…and she ran to Him. Before we got married, Denise wrote me an incredible poem that we had framed…near the end of it she said something like “A perfect man God made only once and His bride waits for His return. The perfect man for me He has brought to me and this bride waits no more”. I haven’t thought about that poem in a while…but indeed…her waiting is over…and she will never need medication again.

And His Bride waits…and longs…and moans. Even now I’m struck by the fact that when Denise & first met online, her email address was Rev2217…”The Spirit and the Bride say come…”

That was the cry of her life from the age of 13 when she met Jesus…on June 1st, 2005 He came…to her.