My first Easter without Dad

I decided to share a second Easter themed blog.  More specifically, I wanted to document what kind of holiday I had.  I do this because writing has been very therapeutic for me; it has helped me grieve.  But I also do it because it occurred to me that this season may be hard for you as well.  Maybe you lost your dad this year, or your mom, or your spouse.  I wanted to share this content with you because I’m hopeful it will help you grieve.

So how was my Easter?  The word I have used over and over again is bittersweet.  The dictionary defines the word bittersweet as “both bitter and sweet; pleasant and sad.”  It was a bittersweet Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and even the Super Bowl (which is basically a universal holiday).  The trend continued for Easter too.  There was happiness, but it was mingled with sadness.

On these special days, it can feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster ride.  The moments of grief and sadness hit you without warning.  For instance, in my Easter church service, I happened to look over and see a teenage girl with her family; I noticed that her father had his arm around her.  It hit me afresh that my dad isn’t here to protect, help, and affirm me anymore.  This doesn’t just happen on holidays, either.  For example, not long ago, I was watching a TV show.  A dad was proud of his adult son for something, and he vocalized this pride by saying, “That’s my boy.”  Without warning, grief washed over me.  My dad spoke to me with that same kind of encouraging tone.  It was a reminder that my life has been irrevocably changed.

By the way, let me share this bit of advice with you.  Perhaps it's a little bit of a rabbit trail, but let me throw it in for no extra charge.  It’s healthy to grieve.  Don’t be ashamed of it, and don’t let others look down on you for it.  To grieve is to give testimony to the bond you had with your loved one.  As my brother, Mark, once put it, “The only reason we grieve is because we love.”  If you didn’t love the person, why would you grieve them?  The deeper the love you shared, the deeper the grief.  So embrace the grieving process in all its fullness.

Let me conclude on a hopeful note.  There’s a reason that I decided to write this on the heels of Easter.  Easter is a glorious event because it is the day that Jesus Christ showed that He really is “the resurrection and the life” just as He proclaimed to a grief-stricken Martha (John 11:25).  I have seen death up close and personally.  I’m well aware of how it is emotional, gut-wrenching, and intense.  I’ve described its aftermath in my own life again today.  So, please understand, I’m not minimizing the legitimate pain of losing someone you love.  But I do know that, the truth of the matter is, Jesus has defeated death.  I agree with an article from got questions.org.  In a question on how a believer can find comfort in the death of a parent, the author writes these words:

“In the loss of a Christian parent, the greatest comfort a believer has is the hope and confidence that our relationship with our parents does not end at death.  A Christian who has lost a Christian parent can rest in the promise that there will be a reunion in heaven.  At the time of the resurrection, all who have accepted Christ will be glorified and given incorruptible bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-44; John 11:25).  For the Christian, Christ has conquered death!”

http://www.gotquestions.org/death-of-a-parent.html

I like how Nicol Sponberg put it in an article of Our Daily Bread.  She stated that before she experienced the pain of unexpectedly losing her child to SIDS, she never had to, as she puts it, “sit on that truth [of Heaven].  I never had to put stock on it until a piece of us was there.”  That’s the best way I can think of to describe it for me as well.  One day I will have a glorious reunion with my dad.  

Kevin

My 2016 resurrection Sunday blog

There’s a lot of confusion regarding why we celebrate Easter.  I was reminded on this fact when I was at retail store and I saw an advertisement that stated that giving and thankfulness is what Easter is all about.  It’s great to give to others, the same goes for being thankful, but they have nothing to do with this importance of this day.  Further, Easter isn’t about a cute little bunny.  What, then, is Easter about?  Well, I called this my “resurrection Sunday” blog.  I did this because Easter celebrates the fact that Jesus Christ, the One who gave His life as a sacrifice for sin, didn’t stay in the grave after that noble act; He conquered death itself.  The resurrection of Jesus isn’t a fable or a fun story; it is an undeniable historical fact.

 

Why is Jesus’ resurrection so important?  Let me answer that by asking you to imagine this scene with me.  Suppose six months before he entered into his Heavenly reward, my dad called a family meeting and he said, “Here’s the deal: in six months, I’m going to die.  But God told me three days after my death, I’m going to be resurrected.”  And then suppose, three months later, he called everyone together once again, and made the same announcement.  And then he articulated it again a couple of months later.  The day came, and he passed away, but his body remained in the grave.  As time marched on, it became abundantly clear that his prediction was wrong.  We would be left to conclude that my dad was a liar, or delusional, right?  After all, he predicted an impending resurrection, but it didn’t happen.

Please don’t misunderstand me on this one.  The truth is, my dad didn’t know he was going to pass away that day.  Even in his last hours on Earth, he didn’t have the faintest notion.  I really believe that he was as surprised as everyone else was at his sudden homecoming to Heaven.  Furthermore, Dad certainly didn’t predict that he was going to rise from the dead in three days.  I said all this to illustrate a point: while my dad didn’t predict an imminent resurrection, Jesus Christ did.  Read the gospels for yourself.  You will see that on more than one occasion Jesus told His disciples that He was going to die, and He told them that He was going to rise from the dead.  If it’s not true, Jesus was nothing more than a liar, or delusional.

There’s more to this discussion.  Not only did Jesus predict His resurrection, the Old Testament also predicted that the foretold Messiah was going to rise from the dead.  Psalm 16:10, for example, says, “You will not leave me in the place of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.”  In this Messianic Psalm, the author was prophesying that the Coming One will not be left in the grave to experience decay.  Interestingly, in Acts 2, Peter quotes from this very Psalm in his sermon.  I’m paraphrasing, but basically he says, “David, the human author of this Psalm, remains in the grave to this day.  He isn’t speaking of himself.  He is speaking of Jesus Christ, who died, and is now alive forevermore.  We are witnesses of this fact!”

Isaiah 53 contains another Old Testament instance of Jesus’ resurrection.  Let me give you the context on this one.  In verse 8, Isaiah predicts Jesus’ death; verse 9 speaks of Jesus’ burial, and then in verse 10 we read these words: “But He will still see His descendants and live a long life.”  Then in the next verse, Isaiah 53:11, it states, “After His soul suffers many things, He will see life and be satisfied” (NCV).  My point here is these Old Testament verses (and others like them) speak of Jesus’ resurrection.  If it didn’t happen, it calls into question the reliability of the Scriptures.

Why is Jesus’ resurrection important?  It’s important for many reasons.  But one of the fundamental reasons is if Jesus’ resurrection didn’t happen, then He is a delusional liar, and a religious charlatan that is not to be trusted.  Furthermore, the Bible would be unreliable.  Both in the Old and New Testament, it asserts that the Messiah was going to taste death, but that He would subsequently conquer it.  If that didn’t happen, the Bible isn’t accurate, and therefore, is not to be trusted.  But, as I said back at the beginning, the resurrection is a historical fact.  Opponents have tried to suppress and disprove it for centuries, but no one has – and no one will.  Trust Jesus; He is the Truth (John 14:6).  Trust the Bible; it is wholly reliable.  Jesus Christ is risen; He is risen indeed!

Kevin

The magnitude of Good Friday

Here’s a sentence you may have never heard before: I love the holiday of Good Friday.  I know it’s still not for a few days, but it’s a very important holiday.  Good Friday is set apart as the day commemorating the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.  “That’s morbid, Kevin,” you say.  “That’s a violent and bloody event.  Why would you love such a thing?”  Well, there’s more to this event then violence and bloodshed.  Good Friday is the day to celebrate the fact that, as the old hymn puts it, “Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe.  Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow.”

I always wonder who the Lord will direct to read this content.  If you came upon these words, it's not an accident; God is at work.  It hit me that someone may have this outlook: you’re aware of your sin, but you’ve tried to alleviate your guilt with good works.  You think if you pile enough good works on the scales, it will outweigh your sin and you will therefore be acceptable to God, but that’s not what the Bible teaches.  

A few years ago, I had to get a root canal.  I could have tried all I wanted, but there’s no way I could have delivered myself from the problem of that bad tooth.  I needed someone to do for me what I couldn’t do for myself.  I needed to trust in the dentist's expertise to save me.  In the same way, Jesus already did all the work that was necessary when He shed His blood for you.  You can’t save yourself from your sin anymore than you can save yourself from a bad tooth.  You must put your faith, trust, and confidence in Him alone to save you.  A right relationship with God is not achieved through working hard; you simply need to “believe” in Him as the Bible repeatedly puts it.

Back in July, my world was suddenly turned upside down when my father unexpectedly passed away.  As a result of this, I have been thinking a lot about Heaven.  That’s not to suggest that I never thought about Heaven before, but I like how Nicol Sponberg put it in an article of Our Daily Bread.  She stated that before she experienced the pain of unexpectedly losing her child to SIDS, she never had to, as she puts it, “sit on that truth [of Heaven].  I never had to put stock on it until a piece of us was there.”  That’s the best way I can think of to describe it for me as well.  

It’s comforting to know that I am on my way to Heaven.  One day I will have a glorious reunion with my dad.  But, just to clarify, it’s not because I’m a fantastic person.  No, believe me, if it depended on my exemplary conduct to get into Heaven, I would be utterly sunk.  Kevin Bauer is fickle, selfish, and sinful.  Why am I confident of Heaven, then?  Because of Good Friday.  Jesus paid the penalty of my sin (and the sin of the entire world) when He shed His blood on the cross of Calvary.

Let me conclude with this.  In the beginning scenes of the wonderful movie “Iron-Man”, the brilliant weapon designer Tony Stark is taken captive by terrorists.  Stark soon discovers that he isn’t alone.  Another inmate by the name of Yinsen is there with him.  Yinsen and Stark form a friendship as they both try to escape from the nightmare they find themselves in.  To make a long story short, Yinsen ultimately sacrifices himself for Tony.  In an emotional farewell scene, Tony initially tries to convince Yinsen to get up and to keep moving.  But Yinsen tells him, “This was always the plan, Stark…My family is dead.  I’m going to see them now.  It’s okay, I want this.”  Stark smiles and says, “Thank you for saving me.”  In the end, Stark does escape and goes on to live the life of a superhero.  But, as I see it, Yinsen was the hero.  In a very real sense, he died for Tony Stark.  That’s what Jesus did for us.  That’s what Good Friday is all about.

Kevin

The amazing career of Peyton Manning

Back on Monday, Peyton Manning officially announced his retirement from the game of football.  I haven’t had time to write a few thoughts on Manning’s career until now.  But here it is finally.

I’ve often thought of Peyton Manning as the Batman of quarterbacks.  What do I mean by that?  One of Batman’s greatest attributes is his keen mind.  As a Batman fan, on numerous occasions, I have seen Batman defeat his opponents simply by outsmarting them.  Batman’s brain, his study, his preparation, and his research aided him in his success.  Doesn’t that sound like Peyton Manning?  Manning even said in his press conference on Monday, “There were other players who were more talented, but there was no one who could out-prepare me.”  That was evident as you watched Peyton Manning outwit his opponent seemingly week after week, and year after year.

Very seldom did you ever outsmart Manning (or “the Sheriff” as he’s affectionately been called).  He knew what the defense was going to do before the ball was snapped.  He could read coverages like a book.  It was absolutely mind-boggling to behold.  He truly was a master of his craft.

It was such a joy to watch Manning play the game.  I could go on and on today.  I could bring up my favorite memories of number 18.  I could bring up his time with Indianapolis where I rooted for him and his Colts to win.  Or I could bring up the wonderful memories from Peyton’s four years here in Denver.  But instead I want to pose this question: is Peyton Manning the greatest quarterback ever?  Some will point to Joe Montana, Dan Marino, or Tom Brady.  These are worthy candidates, to be sure.  And the debate will probably rage on forever.  But, as I see it, no one changed the quarterback position like Peyton Manning.  I submit to you that Peyton is the greatest quarterback to ever play the game of football.

Kevin

Words of birthday blessing

Even though my mom’s birthday isn’t for a few more days, I wanted to write some words about her now that I hope will encourage and bless her (an early birthday present, if you will).  To begin, you all know how much my mom, Rose Mary Bauer, has been through this year.  She has endured so much pain, loss, and heartache.  I’ve often said that the pain of my dad’s passing impacted so many people, but Mom was impacted the most, because of their strong love and bond.  And yet I can emphatically declare that Mom has grown considerably.  She often says that she may look the same as she did back in July, but she isn’t the same person.  I wholeheartedly agree.

For instance, while she was a devoted Christian before Dad’s homecoming to Heaven, she has become more Christ-like, compassionate, mature, and consecrated to God.  Take her prayer life now, for an example.  If you want an illustration of someone who lives out the verse “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), it is her.  She prays morning, afternoon, and evening.  Often I’ve noticed how she will just start praying (out loud).  All of the sudden, she will just thank God for His help, His mercy, His blessings, whatever is on her heart at that moment.  It’s quite amazing to behold!

I don’t want you to misunderstand me.  Her growth isn’t because she is some sort of a super-saint.  No, she knows that she can’t live a day, or a minute, without God.  I love 2 Corinthians 3:5, and I think it captures Mom perfectly.  It reads, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God” (NKJV).  She doesn’t go around boasting of her strength, sufficiency, and competence.  She is quick to give God the glory for anything good, because she knows that ultimately it’s not because of her; it’s because of God.

Not only has she matured spiritually, she has grown in other areas of her life as well.  I could give several examples here, but let me bring up finding her way from point A to point B.  If you knew my dad, he was your GPS.  He was the one who gave you the directions to get you where you needed to go.  So what do you do when your GPS unexpectedly goes to Heaven?  You struggle and you get lost. Knowing how to get from one destination to another was never in her giftedness.  Just ask her and she would agree; I’m not putting words in her mouth.  But you should hear how proficiently she speaks of getting to where she needs to go now.  I marvel at this.

In conclusion, I don’t think Mom knows just how incredibly proud I am of her.  And I know that my dad would be incredibly proud of her as well.  In my last blog, I referenced a popular song by Matt Redman.  More specifically, that song is “Blessed Be Your Name.”  Today, I want to dedicate that song to her.  I can’t think of a more fitting song to present to her as a birthday gift.  Even in the midst of the most gut-wrenching, crushing, visceral, heartbreaking pain of her life, my mom has still chosen to say, through tears, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

Kevin