A Day I’ll Never Forget…Again

Today marks seven years since my dad went home to be with the Lord.

Last night, as I laid my head on my pillow, I remembered that today would be the anniversary of his passing. Then, around 3:00 a.m., I woke up with the same thought still on my mind.

As I got out of bed and began my morning devotionals, I found myself going back and reading a couple of blog posts I had written about Dad: A Moment That Will Never Be Forgotten and Far More Abundantly Than All That We Ask or Think.

In those posts—and in From Success to Surrender—I share several of the unique ways God placed His fingerprints on Dad’s passing. They are reminders not only of God’s love and faithfulness, but also of Dad’s deep love for his family.

One story our family often tells is that Dad passed away on July 5, the birthday of his younger brother, Bobby, who was killed by a drunk driver at the age of 18. Dad carried the loss of his brother for the rest of his life. It has always been meaningful to us that, in God’s perfect timing, He chose to call Dad home on Bobby’s birthday.

Another part of that story was the time of Dad’s passing—12:07 a.m. At that very moment, Christopher, my son and Dad’s grandson, woke up praying for his grandfather. As I’ve shared before, God has used the number seven in many significant ways throughout our family’s journey, especially in Christopher’s life.

Then there was December 7, when the battery in Dad’s watch died with the hands stopped at 12:07—the very day I desperately needed encouragement from the Lord. It was one more reminder that God truly is able to do “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.”

So this morning, I found myself wondering how I could honor Dad again. I considered simply reposting one of those earlier blogs. I thought about writing of his integrity, honesty, hard work, and the legacy he left in our family. All of those things are true.

But none of them seemed to be the story God wanted me to share today.

Then we went to church.

As worship began, somewhere during the first or second song, a thought crossed my mind.

Wouldn’t it be special if we sang “How Great Thou Art” today?

A few days before Dad passed away, my sister captured a precious video of the two of us singing that hymn together. It’s a memory our family treasures.

Almost immediately I dismissed the thought. Based on the songs we had already sung, I couldn’t imagine How Great Thou Art fitting into the morning’s worship set.

Then Rocky, one of our worship leaders, began sharing about the incredible week our student ministry had experienced at camp. He talked about one particular moment when the students spontaneously began singing a hymn together.

That hymn was How Great Thou Art.

Before he even finished speaking, tears filled my eyes.

Moments later, our entire church joined together singing those familiar words.

As you can imagine, I completely broke down.

Lisa did too.

It wasn’t simply because I was remembering Dad.

It was because I was overwhelmed by the intimacy of God.

The sovereign God of the universe—the One who orders our days and knows every detail of our lives—had chosen, on the seventh anniversary of my father’s passing, to minister to my heart through the very hymn that has become so closely connected to one of my favorite memories with Dad.

I could barely sing.

At one point, I thought I might end up on my knees.

When the song ended and we sat down, I leaned over to Lisa and whispered, “Can you believe that just happened?”

She smiled and quietly reminded me of something I hadn’t even considered.

Today isn’t just the anniversary of Dad’s passing.

It’s the seventh anniversary.

Once again, God used a number that has become deeply meaningful in our family’s journey to remind us that He is present… that He sees us… and that He is still writing the story.

I plan to share this with our worship team because I want them to know how God used their faithfulness today.

But even more than that, I wanted to capture this moment while it was still fresh.

Because this isn’t really a story about my dad.

It’s a story about a God who knows us personally.

A God who still speaks.

A God who still comforts.

A God who still orchestrates moments that remind us He is near.

Seven years later, July 5 remains a day our family will never forget.

Not simply because it’s the day Dad went home.

But because, once again, it became a reminder that our Heavenly Father is still faithfully walking with us every step of the journey.

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…” — Ephesians 3:20

One response to “A Day I’ll Never Forget…Again”

1. kandice l richey says:

   07/05/2026 at 5:26 pm

   OMG Chris…..I don’t even have the words. To hear Dad’s voice singing “How Great Thou Art” brings me such joy. It takes me back and reminds me of the quiet man of faith he was and of God’s never-ending love and faithfulness. Thank you so much for sharing this today. Such a precious gift!!! Love you!! Your Sis

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