It is with sadness that I’m writing to tell you that our dear friend Franklin Sanders, who we interviewed for our documentary film and who spoke at our Beyond Off Grid Summit event, lost his wife Susan yesterday morning when she passed away suddenly.

Here is his note to his email subscribers last night:

Dear Friends:

 

My beloved wife of nearly 49 years, Susan Sanders, passed suddenly into the arms of Jesus this morning. She had her heart mitral valve repaired in 2008, replaced in 2012, and she had a pacemaker. Death held no fear for her. She had long ago made peace with death, and looked forward with certain faith to Jesus’ embrace and hearing, “Well done, good & faithful servant! Enter into the joy of thy Lord.”

 

Susan died as she had always lived, serving God and others. She had gone outside to feed the dogs and was coming back into the kitchen to fetch her oatmeal and collapsed. I ran to her but she was gone so quickly. As Susan loved to say, she is now “Dancing with the angels.”

 

Susan was always joyful, always hopeful, always loving, and had to be bringing up seven children. Even in the depths of our federal trial in the early 1990s, I never heard a word of complaint escape her lips. Her favorite psalm was Psalm 103.

 

The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD!

 

Please forgive us our slowness to respond in the next few day, understanding that our hearts and minds are wholly occupied with our loss. But we honor Susan by imitating her devotion to God and her duty, and will take care to fulfill all our obligations. It goes without saying, I will not be publishing a daily commentary until next week at the earliest. Please pray for me, for our seven children, and for our 15 grandchildren as we mourn the loss of our beloved, and rejoice in her rest and salvation.

 

INTO thy hands, O merciful Savior, we commend the soul of thy servant, Susan, now departed from the body. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming. Receive her into the arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

Please pray for Franklin and his family as they grieve the loss of Susan, and for traveling mercies for all those traveling to attend the funeral this weekend.

If you have been blessed by Franklin’s wisdom and teaching, and would like to pass on a message to him, please comment on this post and we will ensure that your message reaches him.

Take time today to remember what’s important in life, to love on your spouse and children, and to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.

Blessings,

Jason

Psalms 103:1-22 (ESV)

Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, (3) who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, (4) who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, (5) who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (6) The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. (7) He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. (8) The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (9) He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. (10) He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. (11) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; (12) as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (13) As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. (14) For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. (15) As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; (16) for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. (17) But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, (18) to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. (19) The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. (20) Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! (21) Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! (22) Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!