Today I attended a funeral service celebrating the life of Danny Duggan. Loved ones shared the legacy of his Family, his Service, and his Walk with God. Danny’s exemplary life was compared to that of Christ. He has truly left a legacy that will lead us to our eternal home.
Danny served as Executive Director of Cherokee Home for Children since 1998. His death was the result of head injuries while playing basketball with the
children of the home, Aggies for Christ, and other staff. Danny was 59 years old.My family and I were blessed to have been associated with Danny and his family when they moved to Stephenville to work with us at Foster’s Home for Children.
This past week, since Danny’s accident, has been one of mixed emotions for me. I treasure the time we had together while our children were young and we were sharing common dreams and goals for the precious children in our care. I treasure the spiritual bond we had as we shared our struggles and prayed for wisdom and guidance in the challenges we faced daily. My heart is broken because I know the pain and suffering of a family whose loved one has gone home. I know by God’s grace, they will find comfort and the strength to follow in his steps. He will continue to minister through them and all whose lives he has touched.
I know Danny would agree, there truly is no journey that compares to our journey with God to our heavenly home. My heart literally “jumps for joy” when I reflect upon the way God’s Spirit moves and works in our lives. While living as a houseparent at Foster’s Home, I discovered a passage that defined God’s purpose for my life, then and now. The scripture is from Romans 12:1-8 in the New Living Translation:
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. As God’s messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other and each of us needs all the others. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”
“Thank you, Father, for Danny and the legacy he left for us to follow. Thank you for his faithful life of service. May we, like him, recognize our gifts and use them to Your glory. Thank you for the gift of Your Son, in whose name we pray, Amen”
Jan Alderfer
Stephenville, TX
No comments:
Post a Comment