Heaven

We prayed for Jim Brenneman. Jim had been fighting a battle with cancer for a long time. Davis heard Kenton praying for Jim and he started to pray for Jim every night. Davis had not met Jim.

One Sunday when Jim was feeling well enough to be in church I had the privilege of introducing them. Jim thanked Davis for his prayers and mentioned that he had another friend named Davis who was praying for him so now he had a big Davis and a young Davis praying for him and that he would pray for Davis too. Davis was all smiles.




We got a call one day that Jim had been taken to the hospital. Davis prayed for Jim and drew him a picture and sent him a note that said something along the lines of...I'm praying for you and helping my dad a lot. I like you. I hope you feel better soon.

Davis' prayers were answered but not in the way we had hoped. God called him to his eternal home.

I dreaded having to tell Davis. I wondered how he would feel when he heard the answer to his months of prayer.

"Davis, I have some hard news for you, buddy. Jim Brenneman went home to be with Jesus today."

He stunned me silent when he smiled an enormous smile and asked, "Should I still pray for him?"

*****

For those few seconds he had a better grasp of Jim's new reality than I did. Heaven, a place with no tears, no pain, and a new body. Eternity with Jesus.


*****

About 10 minutes later the loss hit him. He sobbed for a long time and that night he prayed a new prayer. He prayed for Jim's family.


Jim's family shared a few of Jim's things with Davis: a cap, a picture of a fire truck, and a prayer bear. Jim's wife hopes that Davis will use the bear to remind him of other people to pray for. If you'd like, you can join Davis in praying for Christine, Jacquetta, Tara and Bennett, Mallory, Tybie, and Ian and Jim's extended family.