Ten years ago today our second child and first son Daniel died. He was only three years old. Although my heart still aches when I think of Daniel, his three years of unrelenting suffering (40-60 seizures each day), and his absence from our family, I am deeply thankful to God for the gift that Daniel was and continues to be.

The picture to the left above was taken four days before Daniel’s death. It was our attempt to testify to the glory and sufficiency of the Gospel in our suffering: because of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God will one day forever deliver us from the sufferings of this present time (see Romans 8:11, 23). The Gospel is indeed for real life.

Will you take a few minutes today to reflect upon the good news that the Gospel is for us in our suffering? One way you can do so is by reading the tribute I wrote two days after Daniel’s death.