diana dola

One Year Later: Luke Gabriel Bird October 20, 2000 – July 16, 2022 When the phone rang a year ago today, I remember where I was standing. I can still hear the conversation. I know exactly where I crumpled to the floor in utter terror. There are things you cannot unhear. There are things you cannot forget. Luke, a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, had slipped off a cliff while hiking near a waterfall in Chile. On Saturday, he was officially missing. On Sunday, his body was found. Our beloved son, whom we had for twenty-one years, was now with his heavenly Father. In one of his speeches, Luke said, “The most important people in our lives are the ones we can look at and say, ‘My life is better because of what you have done for me.’ Be that person.” Luke was that person. He embodied his ideals of brotherhood, sacrifice, integrity. The countless people who have reached out to me this year with their own “Luke story” attest to it. He made people’s lives better. He gave them hope. He gave of himself, without complaint. Though in this world for only twenty-one years, he left behind a legacy that lives on in every life he touched. Even a year later, there are days when his death still seems surreal. There are days when that bottle in which our Lord puts our tears overflows. There are days, like today, when my voice breaks, my insides are all torn up, and the thought of living several more decades without hearing Luke’s voice or seeing that smile seems a monstrous injustice. But live on we must, until our Father calls us home, for though we grieve and though we hurt, the Lord still has work for us to do. My keyboard may some days be wet with tears, but I write nonetheless. I have a wife to love, children to cherish, grandchildren to dote on, friends to help, strangers to offer a word of encouragement. And you? You are not here by accident. The Lord wants you here. Wants you. Since God was willing to send his Son on a mission to go the ultimate distance to reconcile you with himself, don’t think for a minute he’s now going to brush you aside as insignificant. You matter. The Creator of heaven and earth says so. Therefore, as long as we are here in this world, loved by God, redeemed by Jesus, surrounded by people who need help, encouragement, hope, even just a smile, we have some serious and joyful work to do. Like Luke said, “The most important people in our lives are the ones we can look at and say, ‘My life is better because of what you have done for me.’ Be that person.” Amen. Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. Alleluia.

Listen, this is a film written, acted and produced by people to whom I would gladly concede writing, acting and production jobs… Kama trailer haitakuconvince, drop pin. Tutamuok na kikoto ya wale wagenje tubanje tukiche ka hutacheza na rieng’…💕✨