The following message is by pastor John Piper. More information from desiring God is available at

W. W.W.

D. desiring God. O.R-G.

One of the things that has proven somewhat of a surprise to me in these days is that I do not cry when I think directly about my father and his death.

I have found that the times I have cried is in sitting in front of my computer reading emails from people like you.

That's a surprise to me that it isn't my father's direct impact on me or direct loss from me but his indirect approach to me through you that moves me

most deeply. Don't know why that is.

I have to be careful who I look at, for example,

when I'm praying.

And the only reason I mention this is to make sure that you understand that my list of gratitude

that I'm about to give is more than formality.

The appreciation that I feel for about 11 groups of people

needs to be spoken because God has come to me by means of my father's life and death

through these people and so let me begin by simply saying thank you to some people

now I know the parts of these minutes that I have that are going to be emotionally difficult

I know exactly where they're going to come and I've prepared myself to the degree

that I can to manage them and so don't worry we won't lose control here and have to sit down

and somebody else come up here. We just know where it's going to come and we'll just take our time and work our way through it.

Okay? So here are my deep, deep expressions, feelings of gratitude. At the top of the

sister and this will be one of those moments

because Beverly Bob Breschetta, the platform, Brandy, Steve.

You enabled him for these years to be dignified.

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