Five Years Ago Seems Like Yesterday…

Five years ago, January 25, 2007, is a day that I will never forget. This day is memorable because it was the first time that I truly experienced what death feels like. By this I mean, I lost someone who I looked up to, valued, and depended on more than anyone could ever imagine. Not only did I lose someone this day, but my best friend and her family as well. Mr. Cobbs passed away and entered the gates of heaven on the night of January 25, 2007. I cannot believe that he has been with Jesus for so long, when it seems like just yesterday he was taken from the earth. His passing taught me more about myself and life than even I can comprehend. I learned that life was extremely short and that it does not matter what is going on in a person’s life because when the Lord calls someone to be with Him there is no negotiating. I remember driving my best friend to the hospital that night and laughing along the way. But I will never forget her looking right into my eyes and saying, “I hope my Dad isn’t dead.” Thinking back to this memory I remember thinking to myself and saying to her that he is fine and everything will be fine. Walking into the hospital and hearing her scream as her grandmother took her by the arm and told her what had happened, I knew everything was not fine. Life changed after that day, I changed and a lot of other people changed with me. It honestly was not until a month after his passing that I started to look at him being gone differently and I owe it all to my Aunt Susan. We were sitting at the kitchen table talking about how amazing Mr. Cobbs really was and how he helped lead more people to Christ than any other person I knew, including me. My aunt reassured me that the Lord would not have taken him from this world if he had more opportunities on this earth. And from that point on, it all clicked inside me. Mr. Cobbs did all he could do on this earth and it was time he celebrated with Jesus. I hate that he left so many people who loved him behind. I hate that my best friend had to go through what she did, but I know that if anyone could handle this situation it is her. I was sure of this and so was Jesus. I thank the Lord that I had the pleasure of knowing one of his great and faithful followers. I will always cherish the times when I was with him. It weird because I never realized this when he was here, but he was my second father. He looked over me and often made fun of me because I was an osu fan. I learned very quickly to never watch an osu/ou game at their house ever again because all he did was rag on my team. Funny thing is that now his daughter goes to osu and even though she still cheers for ou, she bleeds orange just like me. So I guess I’m the one who gets the last laugh because constantly I think to myself, “what would her dad say if he knew yet another one of his daughters went to osu?” I’m blessed to have known him and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him.