Rejoicing in Sorrow

20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

I have been interested in what we would hear from Dana in the immediate wake of her husband's death. Here are some of her earliest remarks:

I got to spend 48 hours with the most incredible man in the world, the absolute love of my life, best friend and leader. 

These last 3 days have been the longest most miserable days of my life. We will soon be on our "Freedom Flight" home where he will receive the highest honors in a Dignified Transfer ceremony; certainly gives a whole new meaning to the word "freedom." 

I will lay next to him, his casket draped with our Nation's flag and worship our Lord and Savior one last time with him. I'm bringing the love of my life home today, once my leader and protector--now God's mighty warrior. I know he is with Jesus and feels no pain. 

Thank you all, each and everyone of you, for your prayers of love, support, comfort and encouragement. 

For that 8 hour flight back to the states, I don't know what else to do but join him in singing, 
"Holy, Holy, Holy... Is The Lord God almighty..."

Our last supper, Christmas Day 25 December, 2013 at Camp Phoenix--Kabul, AFG 

A lot more info, including a touching slideshow, can be found at this blog: http://www.nataliekirchhoff.com/

For more info on the David and the funeral arrangements to come, see http://daveanddana.weebly.com/

David's death is emblematic of what our country has lost, and what thousands of families have lost in service to their country. We hear of the loss of a soldier and think, "What a shame." But when we see the stories, the wife who wages war for hope (with victory assured in this case), then we begin to comprehend the devastation of each loss.

But please also take time to let Dana's words sink in. She cannot escape the grief. And who can possibly fathom those eight lonely hours alongside her husband's coffin? We can only imagine how much Dana wishes that her husband was wrapped in her arms and not a flag.

Yet she has hope, and like Job, will rejoice even in her sorrow. She can celebrate that her husband lived a life worthy of his noble death. More than that, she can celebrate that he belongs body and soul, in life and in death, to Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior. She can honor the sacrifice of David with her tears; With those same tears, she can worship the Christ who sacrificed Himself for both of them. He is the true hero of this story.

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