Posted on 11/17/2004 6:57:42 AM PST by jrhepfer
A long time lurker and 3 year Freeper is in his last days. Freeper "kixx" known as Chip to his friends will draw his last breath in the next few days after fighting spreading lung cancer. I'm going to pass along an e-mail he wrote to my family (addressed to my wife Kim) just a few days ago when he was still alert and able to read/send e-mail.
Please pray for Chip's comfort in these last days. FreeRepublic was his home on the internet and gave him so much hope!
The little girl he speaks of in the e-mail below is my daughter.
God Bless,
Jim ---------------------------------- Kim, If I had to, I would dedicate all the time I have left re-assuring my friends that all will be okay. The saddest part of this for me is the sadness that I will eventually bring to my friends and family. I can only hope that this sadness will be a short-lived one as everyone realizes that I have gone on to a better place. A place I expect to see all my friends again one day except that I'll have a hard time recognizing any of you since you'll all be old and hunched over by then. :-)
I am at peace with my situation. A peace developed by seemingly unrelated events of the past couple of years. A peace brought on by a journey back to God undertaken years before, almost without my realizing it. Some of the "unrelated" events that brought me to this place were: Country music, 9-11, the presidential election of 2000, the act of forgiving, removing "poisonous" relationships from my life, gravitating toward like-minded, family-values friends, and culminating in the profound affect a little girl with cancer has had on one man's life.
And that very last one was the most important. Everything before got me on the road back to God. Rhiannah put me on that road for good. I had already come full circle, from my Christian youth, through my rebellious and doubting 20's and 30's, and back to believer. But Rhiannah's cancer diagnosis pushed me to the point where I had to put ALL my faith in God and Jesus.
There was no way I could allow my heart to believe that this little girl was not going to make it. And I prayed accordingly. I let God know that I truly believed that Rhiannah's cancer was, indeed, a temporary thing. And to this day, when I tell you I truly believe Rhiannah is cured, now and forever, its only because I know its so.
Little did I know, as I lay in bed at night praying for Rhiannah, that this little girl was already paving the road that would eventually lead her "Uncle Chip" to heaven. Long before I ever thought I would have a need for it. So, thanks to my little hero, when the news came that my time on earth was quickly fading, I was ready. I had the faith that everything was safe in God's hands, I had a peace overcome me that could only come from a divine source, and I'm assured that my sins have been forgiven and paid for.
I also trust that there is a purpose for my cancer. Maybe not, I don't know. But if there is a purpose for me being here at this time then I guess I'll be around till that purpose is fulfilled. Until then I'll just do what I did a few years back, put it all in God's hands and not worry about it.
My biggest regret through all of this is the trouble I've been putting my friends through. I also regret that day when so many will grieve my death. I've never thought of myself as a very significant person and if were to able to watch it all from the next life I know my reaction would be "What's all the fuss about?"
I hope this sets your heart and mind at ease.
I'll talk to you later, Chip
Thanks for sharing that email, Chip's strength at a time when most of us are afraid of facing or even thinking about is comforting and inspirational.
Thank you for sharing that. It touched me. I look forward to that day when I meet him in glory in the presence of our Lord.
Jim;
Prayers for Chip and his family and for your daughter. My little niece had cancer, she's now five years cancer free. Thank God! Please pass along our prayers to Chip.
What a wonderful man, I wish that he could be reassured that the things his family will remember is the love he gave and the good times.
Sometimes I wake from a dream of my darling David, laughing with him as we did so many times during our precious time together. I still feel the foundation of love he spent so many years building for me to stand on.
He is in my prayers, as is his family.
Lord,one of your servants is coming home.
Matthew 25:21
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Please post your replies to jrhepfer; kixx
jrhepfer, My prayers go up for Chip. Lord, we pray for Chip today. We thank you for allowing us to know him and, for some, to love him. We ask that he be allowed to pass without pain. Release him from his earthly bonds and provide comfort for his family and friends. In Jesus' precious name. Amen
Colonel_Flagg, thank you for the ping.
Blessings,
trussell
If you want on/off my prayer ping list, please let me know. All requests happily honored.
May God bless you with peace and wisdom in your last days, and may God bless your soul as it leaves your body.
Offering my prayers
Extend Your healing hand to the precious child that You have chosen to lead others to Your Blessed Self, Merciful Father ... grant unto her fullness of years that her sweet spirit might continue to serve the Author of Goodness and Mercy. You are greatly to be praised, now and forevermore, and we do so now, Creator God, and will do so again with Your children in glory, forevermore. Amen ...
Now that my tears have stopped flowing, I want to say what a beautiful letter that is! It warms my heart to know that he is at peace in his final moments. I pray for comfort and strength for his family and friends. Rest in peace Chip, and know that you are loved and will be missed! God Bless you!
~prayer ping~
Prayers sent.
God bless you, Chip. May your journey be soft and gentle, and may you be welcomed with open arms when you arrive. May your family and friends remember you always, and hold you near to their hearts.
God Bless you, Chip.. thank you for sharing your words of hope and have a peaceful journey Home.
Prayers for your daughter Rhiannah, Jim, in her fight for cancer. Thank you for posting this..
Prayers sent for an obviously good man.
What a beautiful goodbye for now letter.
Not many things choke this old gal up but I saw so many truths in what Chip shared.
God Bless You Chip. May the Lord await you with open arms as you have confessed your trust and love for him.
Pity you for having it so close, the smell.
The wind blows up toward our home and the visiting smokers at our neighbors house who are outside their home send the smell right into our living area and last Sunday we got a big whiff while I was showering my disabled son and we both looked at each other and went ewwww....it passed but he has severe asthema and just the smell grosses us out.
I hate cigarettes and the stench and I have smoking off limits in certain rooms in my home. LOL he has to either smoke outside or in the bathroom when he comes over.
God bless you Chip, and may your passing be easy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.