Saturday, July 29, 2017

Like a River Glorious

In the early hours of today, a 41-year-old, the father of eight children, slipped into glory after a year-long battle with advanced melanoma.

I didn't know Richard and Christine Zimmerman until a mutual friend told me that he was having brain surgery the day after Ed. Through their contact I was able to have a long phone conversation with his wife. We compared stories, but mostly I wanted to hear from Christine how she has survived the last year. Her testimony of God's grace in the midst of very hard things has been an inspiration to me.


This is a photo of Richard and Christine Zimmerman and their eight children, taken last year before his diagnosis. I ache to think of those six boys without their dad.

I've been thinking of the word to the hymn Like a River Glorious by Frances R. Havergal. In Christine's texts the last couple weeks, as Richard's physical health slipped lower and lower, she continual wrote about the mighty hand of God that was carrying them and of the strength of Richard's faith.  "They who trust Him wholly, find Him wholly true."

Like a River Glorious
  1. by Frances R. Havergal

  2. Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace,
    Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
    Perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day,
    Perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.
    • Refrain:
      Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
      Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.
  3. Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
    Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
    Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
    Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.
  4. Every joy or trial falleth from above,
    Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
    We may trust Him fully, all for us to do;
    They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

9 comments :

  1. Oh Gina,
    I'm so sorry about your friend's lost of her dear husband. My heart is sad for her and her eiight precious "babies"
    I will put there name on my prayer wall and will pray for them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My heart hurts for Christine. But oh, the joy Richard must feel, being in Glory with our Lord and Savior. My prayers will be with her and her family in the coming days, just as I continually pray for you and Ed and your family. Blessings always, Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Maybe you know Frances Havergal's book for children, Little Pillows and Morning Bells - a month's worth of tiny devotions, morning and night. https://www.amazon.com/Pillows-Morning-Childrens-Frances-Havergal/dp/1937236110

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  4. Oh, how my heart aches for Richard's wife and children! Rejoicing he is with his Saviour, and praying for grace enough for each day. ~Eunice

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  5. Gina,
    Just as Christine's grace has helped you, your grace has helped me with my husbands cancer diagnosis and surgery. God bless you!

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  6. Hi Gina - I haven't been keeping up with blogs like I used to but I had an urge to reconnect with yours today and have just seen the news about your husband. I am so sorry you are all going through such a difficult time and I send love to you all.
    My heart goes out to your friend's family as well. All those little ones losing their Daddy is just heartbreaking xxx

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  7. Praying for your friend and her family and as always you and yours.

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  8. Oh Gina, God is good all the time...but when I see Richard's obituary and experienced another friend's husband also receiving his reward in glory a week before because of a brain tumor, we know the pain and loss is felt deeply. My heart and prayers to you and those who are grieving and coping and adjusting to a new normal - may the dear Lord strengthen and comfort and sustain you.

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  9. Yes life can be so fleeting...be careful what you do with it. You never know when your time on earth will be over. Praise God for life! May Jesus comfort those children and their mother.

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