Sorrow and Hope

I am not sure I’ll ever have the right words to express the sorrow and suffering of this week. It has been unfathomable and unrelenting. Losing our husband and father whom we all adored so much leaves a wound so deep, a hole so massive, a pain so sharp, we can hardly catch our breath. The grief is crushing. This is not how it was supposed to be. 

We are forever changed.

But as I sit with this sorrow one week later, I am still certain of this —our Heavenly Father remains unchanged and unchangeable. He is still on His throne. He is God. He loves us. And not even this great tragedy can change who He is. 

We have spent much time this week thinking about the wonderful dad and husband Rick was. So many things to all of us—very much our absolute rock. We couldn’t help but consider how many of his beautiful characteristics reflected the character of our Heavenly Father. So often Rick modeled Jesus for us. He certainly pointed us to Him. And so, even now, in these darkest of days we know we must look to our Lord, lean upon Him, and not lose sight that He will see us through this wilderness. We grieve in the most unimaginable way, but as God’s children, we grieve with hope. Hope for our beloved Rick. Hope for our shattered lives. Even hope for redemption in this horrible loss. 

In Isaiah 43 God tells us, “I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Yes, even in the wilderness, even in the desert of devastation. He will make a way. We can’t quite see it right this very minute, but we trust Him. He will do it. He is faithful. 

The children and I are grateful for the outpouring of love. You are our people. You’ve shown up in the most incredible way being the very hands and feet of Jesus. How can we be both overwhelmed with grief and overwhelmed with love at the very same time? But we can. Some day I will tell the story. 

There are no silver linings, but there certainly are glimpses of gold. Treasure—even in the darkest of places. We knew that before as our family has traversed some hard things in the past, but we know it at a deeper level now in this most searing and unforeseen loss. Thank you for showing us God’s goodness and love. 

Tomorrow we will celebrate Rick’s life. Please pray for us.  I am entrusting you with a livestream link to the service tomorrow March 20th, 2026 at 11am. I know you will hold it with respect and tender care for our family. 

Richard McNatt's Celebration of Life

Obituary~Richard Elliott McNatt

Give to Promise686 in Honor of Rick

~ Psalm 42 ~

   As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, my God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food

day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

These things I remember 

as I pour out my soul:

how I sued to go the to the house of God

under the protection of the Mighty One

with shouts of joy and praise

among the festive throng.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?

 Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

 My soul is downcast within me;

    therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan,

    the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

 Deep calls to deep

    in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

    have swept over me.

 By day the Lord directs his love,

    at night his song is with me—

    a prayer to the God of my life.

 I say to God my Rock,

    “Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning,

    oppressed by the enemy?”

 My bones suffer mortal agony

    as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

    “Where is your God?”

 Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

 

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