23 May A Tribute to My Father in Law

“All their life in this world and all their adventures…had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle

We were dancing with friends, laughing and having fun when we received the call. In one moment, we moved from light, warmth, and happiness into the cold rain of the dark night outside our community gym and into grief we had never before known.

My husband’s father, my beloved father-in-law, had passed from this world into the presence of Christ.

To lose a loved one is to sit on the edge of eternity. In reality, this is where we always live and yet the business of life and our realities as physical beings anchor us to the ground of the earth.

But in these moments when we watch someone we love leave this world, our thoughts linger long on where he is now. We continue to sit here in this place, with our feet physically walking on wet grass and cold ground and yet our gaze reaches heavenward as we give full attention to where this special man now makes his dwelling – in Heaven with Jesus.

Our grief goes deep. We have lost someone who is irreplaceable. Someone who has guided and formed our lives in ways that cannot be numbered. His absence will be acutely felt for the rest of our lives and our children’s lives.

And yet we do not grieve as those who have no hope. I did not have the chance to say the word “Goodbye” to my father in law, but I am comforted to know that this is not truly “goodbye.” This is simply “See you later.”

As the quote from C.S. Lewis’s Last Battle says so beautifully, we have known Hilton Thomas only for the “title and cover page” of his story. In the presence of Christ and in his eternal home of Heaven, his great story truly begins. And yet right now we have been given the unique gift of reflecting on the legacy he has left behind:

1. He was a worshipper: My father in law worshipped Jesus with all his heart and led God’s people in worship for multiple decades of his life. I cannot count the times that I woke up at my in laws house to the sound of Hilton playing his piano and worshipping the Lord. Worship for him was not a once a week event. He would often spend many hours alone in his living room praising God and just pursuing His presence.

2. He was a gifted musician: Hilton played the piano better than anyone I have ever met. He encouraged each of his children to play an instrument and this is a legacy that has passed on to my own children as well. I remember when I began to date my husband and began to visit his family more frequently. I was moved to tears to see a family who worshiped the Lord together with their voices and instruments.

3. He was a champion of God’s grace:  We are saved by grace through faith alone. Nothing we can do will ever cause us to earn the free gift of eternal life. It is only through placing our trust in what Christ did by dying on the cross for our sins that we can be rescued from a life of bondage to sin and walk in the hope of eternal life.

Hilton loved mediating on the Gospel: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our salvation. He sought to call people away from legalism and into relationship with God.

4. He was a man who deeply loved others: Hilton was flawed and imperfect as we all are and yet he was a man filled with God’s love. He was a father figure to countless youth and inspired many to seek the Lord for themselves. For many who had not had a loving father, Hilton gave them a picture of how God the Father loved them.

He adored each of his children and grandchildren and wrapped each of us in hugs every time we saw him.

5. He was generous and hospitable: We have all been amazed to reflect on the numerous people who have lived in Hilton and Sharon’s home at one time or another over the last several decades. Hilton and Sharon have served as incredible examples of what it looks like to keep the doors of their home open to others.

During their stays at the Thomas home, many have shared how much Hilton encouraged them and helped them grow spiritually as well as providing a place for them to stay.

6. He raised four amazing children: If you know Lauralea, Liz, Joel, or Stephen you can attest to this fact. As a daughter in law, I cannot thank my in laws enough for the nurture, training, and example they provided my husband with as he grew up. So much of who Joel is today is because of his mother and father’s influence.

I have received unconditional love, spiritual and practical encouragement, and unwavering support from my precious father-in-law. I will miss him tremendously but rejoice in knowing that He has now entered into the greatest worship service of all time.

My dear father in law, enter into the joy of your Lord. We will join you again one day. Until then, further up and further in!