All things new.

Our dear family friend, Bobby Michaels, passed away today in Thailand while on a ministry trip. He was 55 years old. It is hard to believe, to say the least. We wonder why, in the blink of an eye, God would choose to take one of His choice servants from the earth. A servant who passionately sought the Lord and furthered the Kingdom. Bobby's heart beat for the nations, that they would know the Jesus that loves them. Anyone who met him would decipher that within about 10 seconds of talking with him. :)

We are left now with memories. Though they are many and they are rich, we still grasp for what we really want: Bobby back. Without a doubt, that is not what he would want! He is where we all long to be: in the presence of the King. Maybe he is singing. Maybe he is bowing at His feet. Whatever he is doing right now, he is absolutely whole and we can rejoice in that.

My favorite of all of Bobby's recordings keeps playing over and over in my head today. It was a song called, "You Know Better Than I," originally recorded for the movie, Joseph, King of Dreams. The lyrics are hauntingly appropriate for this moment:

You know better than I
You know the way
I've let go the need to know why
For you know better than I

Our sadness and joy mingle. We grieve for us and rejoice for Bobby. Patiently, and often impatiently, we await the day when all will be made new and whole again. In the meantime, we will follow Bobby's example in proclaiming the Lord's great love for the people on this earth. Please join me in praying that Lee, his wife, as well as his son and daughter and grandchildren will experience unfathomable peace.