www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Prayer On the death of a kind man

Friends,

One month ago my mom died. Sunday one of my younger brothers died.

James Leroy Lauffer, age 52, of Toledo, passed away on Sunday, July 28, 2002, in Toledo. He had been jogging in Toledo when he collapsed. He was born August 28, 1949, in Adrian to Paul and Ruth Lauffer. Jim graduated from Sand Creek High School in 1968. He moved to Toledo after graduation and has worked fro Capital Tire since. Jim was an avid runner and has run many marathons. He never married.

Jim was a very kind man. Upon our mother's death he immediately changed the beneficiary for his life insurance to our sister who has had a difficult life. He changed to beneficiary for his 401k to our niece and her husband who are newlyweds. He was the most humorous member of our family. Our sons say that they enjoyed him the most of all of their relatives.

Funeral services for Jim will be Friday, August 2 at 11:00 a.m. at the Anderson Funeral Home. Visitation will be held on Thursday from 2-4 and 6-8.

Please pray for all of us.

Dan Lauffer

Dan,

My prayers are with your brother's soul. My prayers are with you. You are a good man, and it is very sad that you have suffered twice so soon. Perhaps God just has other plans for your brother and mother at this time, which necessitated their presence in the heavenly realm.

In Christ,

anastasios

[ 07-30-2002: Message edited by: anastasios ]

Dear Dan

You and your grieving family are in my prayers.

Dear Dan,

My heart cries for you and prays for you and your family.

May God, through the intercession of John and Charles Wesley, accept Jim into His heavenly kingdom!

Alex

May the Lord God grant James blessed repose, light and life everlasting! May his memory be eternal!

May God comfort and strengthen all the family in these difficult days.

Eternal Memory!

Dan,

I have not yet lost a sibling (thank God) so I am sure I can't fully appreciate your pain and loss. I can only imagine. But I have lost my parents and so can perhaps understand at least some of what you are dealing with these days (and nights).

Your brother, from your descriptions, sounds like he is such a delightful person - and what a compliment to his "kindness" and goodness is the comment of your own children: that uncle Jim was their favorite uncle.

I entrust James to the mercy of God, never exhausted, never spent, but new each morning.

May you reunite one day with Jim to the song of the angels!

Dear Dan:

My heart goes out to you.

May God grant your brother Eternal Memory.

I send you my prayers


Jose

Thanks to all of you for your kind words. Jim was indeed everyone's favorite. I never fully understood why he had no interest in Church. He had great respect for religion and for religious people. Judging from some things I know he may have felt unworthy. One of the sad things about our relationship is that I was never able to convince him of God's love and of the great benefit of regular worship.

His life was certainly a gift from God. I place him into the hands of a merciful God knowing that He knows best.

Dan Lauffer

Vicnaja pamjat!

Dear Dan,

Who was it who said, "I am very happy in the knowledge that, at the Final Judgement, it will be God who judges me, and not my mother!"

Alex

God bless you for your kindnesses in this time of our grief. I want to relay a blessing we just received.

The last man to talk with Jim was also with him when he died and tried to save his life. Up until he called tonight I had thought that he died alone.

About 8:10 a.m. Monte and Jim crossed paths while running on some trails in a wooded area that both enjoyed. At 8:20 Jim collapsed. Monte is trained in CPR through the military and tried desparately to save his life. Apparently someone had a cell phone but because they were off on a trail it was 20 minutes before the paramedics arrived. It probably didn't matter. Jim was already rattling in his chest and his eyes were rolled back as soon as Monte got to him.

One minute Jim was talking and running. The next minute he was dead.

Monte will be at the funeral. I am thankful to God that Jim was not alone when he died and that we can thank someone for their efforts to save him.

Dan Lauffer

Dan- May the prayers of the Saints be with you and your family at this time. You have been and are still on my mind alot. God Be with you.

Michael

Dan,

Please know that you are in my heart and prayers during this time of great loss and pain.

I believe that the Master who presented Himself using the image of a good shepard is constantly sheparding his sheep and shaping them. He will bring us home to Himself if we allow it whether He gives us to know the great blessing of communal worship or we are not gifted with that faith.

May the Healer of Hearts bring consolation to you and your family.

Steve

[ 07-31-2002: Message edited by: Inawe ]

Dear Dan,

You will not know in this life but maybe just maybe in the time your brother was stricken til he fell and his life slipped away is when the fruit of your witness to Christ came to pass.He did not speak out loud but who knows what was on his heart at the time of his death?In that moment he may have understood and reached out to God. You may have prepared him for his final moments on this earth.I'd like to think that he is with the Lord right now saying Thank You Lord for my brother Dan.I'm here with you because of his witness.Your in my prayers.Take care.


Nicky's Baba