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One never knows when the numbers of our days will reach the last digit. It did for my 81-year-old father on December 15, 2014. He never expected a short vehicular errand to result in his last breath on earth, but it did. The fatal crash, which sent two others to the hospital, sent John Baptiste Prata, Jr to his eternal destiny. He did not know the Lord.
The news reports say that he was attempting to make a left turn onto a busy highway, and failed to yield to oncoming traffic. He left this earth the way he lived, failing to yield to the Holy One, who for all of my father's 81 years, stood ready to forgive his sins. But my father never repented. He failed to yield.
Naples Daily News: Driver in fatal wreck identified
NBC-2: Fatal crash on US-41 in Collier County
As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:15)
The news reports say that he was attempting to make a left turn onto a busy highway, and failed to yield to oncoming traffic. He left this earth the way he lived, failing to yield to the Holy One, who for all of my father's 81 years, stood ready to forgive his sins. But my father never repented. He failed to yield.
Naples Daily News: Driver in fatal wreck identified
NBC-2: Fatal crash on US-41 in Collier County
As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:15)
So sorry to hear this, Elizabeth.
ReplyDeletePraying for the Peace of Jesus to comfort you.
ReplyDeleteMy heart-felt condolences.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for your loss Elizabeth. You and your family are in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteSammiD
I'm so very sorry Elizabeth for you loss. My mother who is 83 has not yielded to the Lord either. It's very sad indeed. God Bless you.
ReplyDeleteHow tragic..."failing to yield"!! I recall another senior, Pastor David Wilkerson, age 80,
ReplyDeletewho was killed in a traffic accident in 2011,...BUT..he had yielded his entire life to the Lord!! NOTHING....NOTHING is more important.
Oh, Elizabeth!! We are SO VERY SORRY for your loss!!! Wish we could give you a warm hug in person, but SOON, so very soon now, our heavenly Father will personally wipe away all our tears! I cannot wait to feel His Hand against my cheek, brushing every last tear away!
ReplyDeleteHaving lost loved ones both by lingered sicknesses and/or injuries and also quick by car wreck, while neither are welcome nor pleasant, yet it was our friends who were quickly taken by car wreck that affected me more deeply. I think because they are here one minute and just literally gone the next. It's a lot to "process".
Again, I am VERY SORRY for your loss!! Will you be able to go to your father's funeral? And see your mother and family?
PRAYING for you & for all your loved ones at this time!
My sincere and deepest condolences to you
ReplyDeleteElizabeth - So very sorry for your loss. My father never repented either. I know how it feels. I try not to think about it, honestly.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth:
ReplyDeleteMy heart reaches out to you, as a parent my most important goal is to make sure before I leave this world is that my kids know Jesus. God Bless all that you do.
Thank you everyone for your kindness, prayers, and condolences. I truly appreciate and love being in the family of God at times like this.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
ReplyDeleteYou and your family will be in our prayers...we are very saddened by your loss.
My condolences to you and your family. I pray for His peace, comfort, and strength to you all.
ReplyDeleteMy heart aches for you Elizabeth. My prayers are with you.
ReplyDeleteI can't speak to knowing older family members who have died unrepentant. At my age, though, I hear often of kids from the graduating classes around mine dying from overdoses, suicides, car wrecks, even murder. And my immediate family is unsaved. It grieves me because they have no people as far as I know in their circles that can communicate the Truth to them. I've tried but as of now I think they've chosen to reject my witness because I am not yet "successful" in their perception, so I have a further strong motivation besides joy to pursue marriage, because of what I can do when I have a stable career and loving spouse. I hope that it will remove stumbling blocks for others that they put up when I preach to them. Because they are not very old yet, I hope that they will be given enough time to hear the Gospel many times and see that it is not an obsession of mine but a life-giving truth. But I know that there is no promise of tomorrow, and it gives me urgency. It is perhaps harder to witness to one's family than anyone else, because they know your faults more than anyone else. In my case, I was a "good kid," so I haven't benefited from a massive outward change as the result of salvation, with which to witness to my folks.
ReplyDeleteI ache for the financial stability that would allow me to devote my spare time wholeheartedly to interpersonal evangelism, and not just blogging and texting college friends to encourage them in between attempts to pursue academic and professional advancement opportunities.
Elizabeth, I know that Todd Friel made a 10, 12 or 15-point list of possible purposes for tragedy shortly after the Newtown shooting, which may be of some comfort. Obviously I can't speak to all of them, but I know that your father's passing has already been used in at least two of those ways: to enable you (and others in the comments for that matter) to sympathize with others in their afflictions, to speak the age-old truth with compassion and understanding. The second is to serve as a signpost to the world to alert them to the urgency of considering the eternal destiny. For a Christian brother, that hits me not as fear for my own sake, but as an urgent reminder to keep pressing on to reach the Lost both distant and close to me in my life, because I never know when their time may run out.
'Hope this provides encouragement.
Very sorry for your loss, Elizabeth.
ReplyDelete2 Cor 1:3-5
-Carolyn
Tomorrow I will attend a memorial for a 19 year old girl, an only child, oh sadly, probably did not yield to the call of Jesus. I am so sorry for your loss and your heartache that your father never came to the truth. God be with you.
ReplyDeleteDear sister in Christ, I will pray that the Lord comforts you and your family. It is very grievous to loose someone -our Dad, Mom, brother or sister who isn't saved close in the family.
ReplyDeleteMy father is 80 and he has Alzheimers. I don't know if he is saved or not although my brother Steven did witness to him several years back and he thinks he is. My Dad did begin going back to church. I have prayed for several years with tears that the Lord would have mercy and that I hope to see him in heaven. I have my doubts because of his lack of affections for Jesus, lack of studying the word of God and some things he never repented of
I have finally come to the realization that whatever happens to my dad, that God has been so, so good to him and no one deserves eternal life much less. God has given him what was never deserved anyways- (the very breath of life, health, children, and a full life) and that applies to all of us. If God has not saved him then I have finally settled the issue in my heart -"Blessed be the name of the Lord" who alone is righteous, just, holy, good, faithful and long-suffering and he has the right to make those decisions.
I say all this but Elizabeth, I know you still hurt. May the Lord wrap his loving arms around you
In Christ, Linda
Dear Elizabeth, I am sorry for your loss. We never know what happens when a sinner faces death, I just hope that your father remembered the times you witness to him of the love of our Savior and that he cried out to Jesus for forgiveness.
ReplyDeleteMay the Holy Spirit comfort and strengthen you in your sorrow and grieving.
Jean-Louis.
So deeply sorry! I'm praying for God's comfort, strength and peace to you and your family during this very difficult time.
ReplyDeleteI too add my prayers for peace in the midst of this storm.
ReplyDeletePerhaps this will be a wake up for family and friends who have not YET chosen to follow our Saviour.
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteHello. I have continued to read your writings these last several months in spite of our disagreement concerning Platt. Frankly, I have thanked the Lord God several times for how I believe He is using you in your writings. I have been encouraged by your insights, the Biblical warnings, and the contending that you labor to make known. Thank you so much for your faithfulness, and the Truth that you continue to convey.
On another note, I share the concern of other saints in the passing of your Dad. I admire your courage and commitment to sound doctrinal Truth as not to hold a false hope for anyone who dies outside of Jesus Christ, including your Dad. I extend my heartfelt condolences to you sister. My Dad died on April 7th, 2012, and frankly I am not very optimistic that he is with the Lord God. I did all that I could for him in praying, loving, sharing the gospel in no uncertain terms up until the time he passed on into eternity.
Thank God that we are chosen, and yet we warn all!
Love in Jesus Christ,
Rick :--)
Metro Atlanta