Steve Brestin
Dearest Friends and Family,
Steve went to be with the Lord Saturday evening, October 16, 2004 at 9:33 p.m. He was surrounded by his family at home singing hymns to him, expressing love. It was a beautiful homecoming.
Grief comes in waves, sweeping over us like sea billows, yet, amazingly, for the most part, it is well with our souls. We know how blessed we were to have this godly man in our lives. His 59 years on this earth were a testimony to the reality of Christ in a life.
We have also seen evidence after evidence of the faithfulness of God in this last year in which he fought the battle again colon cancer. To name just a few:
- God gave him the strength and courage to fight, to continue to pour love into others. Our family is so much closer now than a year ago.
- Our children are each in a better place than they were a year ago, making it easier for Steve to leave.
- God gave him wonderful medical partners who are so much closer than they were a year ago. He had great hope for their future.
- God spoke to him through his daughter Sally’s painting of Aslan - you can see the painting on her website: sallybrestin.com
- God surrounded him with the love of people at his church, Trinity Presbyterian, his brothers and sisters around the world, with Dee’s manager Jill Johnson who also happens to also be a nurse, and women from Dee’s retreats who prayed for him faithfully.
- God allowed him to be a testimony - even in the Milwaukee hospital a few weeks ago he was encouraging the young doctors - telling them how excited he was for them and what a difference they could make in peoples’ lives if they studied hard and let the love of God flow through them.
- God answered our prayer that he would open his eyes at the end, look at us, and we would know he heard us. I truly believed he tried to mouth I love you just before he closed his eyes for the final time.
- To the end, even in his pain, God gave him the strength to glorify the Savior he so loved.
- 800 came to his funeral and the Lord gave strength to each of his children and to me to share. The Spirit was so present and Mike Lano gave an amazing message on what it means to die a good death. Vince Petno, a cardiologist whom Steve led to the Lord gave a powerful testimony on how he fixed hearts but couldn’t fix his own. He led the congregation, with the boys, in Happiness is the Lord which is a children’s song Steve used to lead at the couples Bible study. What a dear humble man Steve was. We have heard of several who came to Christ or recommitted themselves.
This is dear Steve, looking a little like an Amish gentleman with his new beard and baggy trousers - but still with a twinkle in his eyes.
We buried him in Wisconsin in a lovely wooded cemetery near our cottage. This was hard, but we know he is not there.
I have had wonderful back-up speakers come forward for my retreats: Jill Savage, Jan Silvious, Liz Curtis Higgs. My gratitude to them is great.
My children have been amazingly supportive and strong.
Please pray for me - I miss him so - he wanted me to be strong. He said, You will fly free and glorify God. I can’t even imagine flying without him. Only God can give me that strength.
Please pray for each of our children. I am concerned for all, but perhaps most for our baby, Anne. Each are hurting and grieving in their own way.
For the ability to wait on Him and not move ahead without His wisdom. For thanksgiving for Steve. For praise for the very real hope we have in Christ - we do not grieve as those who have no hope.
We each have our own regrets on how we could have been better this last year, but we know Jesus covers it all.
Love love love
Dee
Anne ‘Giving Thanks’ at Steve’s funeral
If any of you would like to hear more of the family sharing at Steve’s funeral, contact us here.
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Don’t Send a Sympathy Card
An invisible knife pierces my heart. Ever since my 59-year-old husband, Steve, lost his valiant battle with colon cancer, I’ve waited for him to call, to hear his hearty laugh - but silence looms. I long to talk to him about our five children - but he is gone. My body aches to be held by him in the night, to have his deep voice pray over me or to hear him recite “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” the nursery rhyme he often used to lull me to sleep - but I am alone under the covers.
Click here to read the entire story published in Focus on the Family Magazine.