Thankful for the day

We woke up Friday morning and learned that Ryan's best friend from high school Wade had passed away Thursday evening suddenly.  Wade was the minister that married Ryan and me 11 years ago.  I've never met a more funny and genuine person who loves God and others without hesitation.  Here is Wade leaving the wedding ceremony with my mom and grandma.

These pictures are blurry, because we didn't have digital photos back in 2001--but I was able to find these prints of Wade.  He worked on a college campus.  Please pray for his family, friends and campus community as they grieve the loss of Wade. The Ozark Christian College president wrote a heartfelt letter on Friday about Wade and beautifully captured his life.

Dear Ozark family
It is with great sadness that I am writing to inform you that Wade Lowrey, the Residence Director in Strong ...Hall at Ozark Christian College, has passed away. His family has been notified, and we want to give you the most accurate information we have as soon as possible. Wade was found Thursday evening, May 24, in his chair in his dorm apartment, and while we are still waiting for the coroner's official results, the initial cause of death appears to be natural causes, possibly a heart attack. We do not know the exact time of his death, but we do know that his last Facebook post was Tuesday evening, May 22. 

Wade's passing at the age of 34 is certainly a shock to all of us, and we will grieve his absence in the Ozark family. As you know, Wade was much loved for his firm faith, his wise and mentoring leadership, his wit and humor, his joyful smile and his genuine love for people. Please be in prayer for his parents, his two sisters and their families as they mourn the loss of their loved one.

Pray for the Center Point Christian Church in Carthage, Missouri where Wade preached as they mourn the loss of their minister. Pray also for the Ozark Christian College family as we mourn the loss of a beloved coworker, and especially for the men of Strong Hall as they mourn the loss of their leader. As soon as funeral arrangements are made, we will be sure to communicate those. 
We grieve greatly, but the wonderful promise of Scripture is that we do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13). Wade had his hope firmly placed in Christ, and for that we rejoice.

Wade was an avid Facebooker, and while he could not have known that his two Facebook posts on Tuesday evening would be his last, they seem especially fitting as a benediction to this difficult news. 
On Tuesday, May 22, Wade participated in the memorial service in Joplin's Cunningham Park on the one-year anniversary of the Joplin tornado, and when those gathered observed a moment of silence at 5:41 p.m. (the time the tornado struck), Wade posted from his phone to Facebook these words: "It's important to remember. Psalm 121:2, 'My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.'" His very last entry, posted at 7:55 on Tuesday evening, was simply one sentence long: "Thankful for the day!"

Matt Proctor
President
Ozark Christian College

Everyday I want to be "Thankful for the day" everyday...especially when I wake this little one up in the morning and begin my day!

Normally she is waking us up, but occasionally I get up before Ainsley and can soak in the cuteness and be Thankful for the Day ahead.  You are a good man Wade Lowery, you will be deeply missed!