Strong Faith, Difficult Loss

SAN ANGELO, TX --I had an uplifting and faith-filed conversation with Felisha Ewing, Floyd Crider’s stepdaughter. The family is what you might call the protective mode for the next day or so, making sure that Mrs. Crider is settled at home, and finalizing Home Going services for Floyd Crider.

If you know the Crider family then you know that faith isn’t only part of their lives, but it guides every step of their walk here on earth.

There were so many things that Felisha said in our conversation, and I told her I wanted to share it with the community.

She quoted John 1:5: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

And from the second beatitude, Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

At one point, the loss of Crider could be heard in her voice.

“Pops,” as she referred to Crider, “It’s hard to lose him. Talking to the young people in his youth program is difficult, knowing how his loss will affect them.”

And, “the last two weeks have been hard, but Mom [Mrs. Crider] is the perfect example of the “rib,” a reference to (Genesis 2:21–22) “Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”

But she shared many happy, even funny stories with me. There are more stories to come from other family members and the church family that was at the center of Floyd’s life.

I told her that her words were once again an example of the family’s faith, and she was happy to be able to share this with the community.

The Going Home service will take place on Tuesday January 23 at 11 a.m. in the First Baptist Church at 37 E. Harris Ave.