A few days ago Tim Challies lost his college-aged son. He wrote about it here, saying, “Yesterday the Lord called my son to himself—my dear son, my sweet son, my kind son, my godly son, my only son.” His son was playing a game with friends and his fiancée when he suddenly collapsed and couldn’t be revived.

I don’t know Tim well. He endorsed one of my books and wrote the foreword to another. Once, I emailed him asking for help and advice, and he gave me a 20-minute phone call to coach me through the problem. When I think of Tim, besides his faithfulness to the Lord and the helpfulness of his books and blog posts, I think of his generosity. Many bloggers become myopically self-focused, but Tim keeps his writing ministry about God’s glory, serving his readers, and promoting the work of others.

When Challies posted about the tragedy, he wrote, “And we ask that you remember us in your prayers as we mourn our loss together.” Would you take a minute to do that for Tim and his wife now?

“Heavenly Father, please comfort Tim and Aileen in their terrible loss. When a man who loves words—and spends his life using them for your glory and the good of your people—has nothing to say, whisper to his heart that you are still God and you love him and his wife. Father, when a hurricane of pain and anger and sadness attempts to overwhelm them, be their refuge; be the firm foundation upon which they can stand, the rock that won’t be shaken when all around their soul gives way. And may they grieve, but may they grieve as those with hope—the hope of your gospel goodness, hope of their son’s presence in heaven with you, hope of your second coming, and hope of the day when you will wipe away every tear from every eye. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

* Photo by zenad nabil on Unsplash