God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the seas, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalms 46:1-3)
Today marks two decades without my Dad. I can’t believe it’s been that long already, but here we are. So much has changed in 20 years – including the rise of AI. Out of sheer curiosity, I just decided to ask it: ‘You don’t get over losing your Dad’ and it responded with: “You are completely right. You don't ‘get over’ losing your dad; the intense pain doesn't just disappear with time. Instead, grief evolves. The sharp edges soften, and you slowly learn to carry the loss, weaving his memory and the lessons he taught you into the life you continue to build. Navigating this reality is a deeply personal journey, and it is completely normal to feel a mix of sorrow, longing, and gratitude all at once.”
Grief has evolved over time. At first, there was the deep sorrow of losing the head of our family and wondering how on earth we’d move forward without him. Then there was the deep longing that he was still around – especially on days like that first Father’s Day without him. But eventually most of those feelings of grief and longing were replaced with feelings of gratitude. I always had an admiration for my Dad – he was the all-in-one plumber, electrician, mechanic, etc. – like no one I have ever seen (before or since). But as I’ve grown older those feelings intensified to a deep gratitude – not just for him as a peerless handyman, but for who he was as a Dad.
So, a tip of the cap to AI – it was spot on in its immediate response. But even though I’ve come to appreciate and leverage it more by the day, there is one I will always cling to the most and that is the Lord Jesus – the Alpha and Omega whose word is 100% reliable and unchanging.
In 2006, the earth did royally give way at the loss of my Dad, but as His word promises – He was my refuge and strength, an ever-present help, even in incomparable trouble. What a peace there is to know the same is true in 2026 and forever thereafter.