Ernie Reinkoester was not my biological father, but he was my dad. After my mother was born again we began to attend worship regularly. Ernie did not attend with us in those early days of our family’s spiritual awakening. He did support my mother’s desire for my sister and I to attend with her. He would deny my request to stay home with him.
The little church we attended called a young man to be our pastor. He paid my dad a visit and the following Sunday he started to attend worship with us. Sometime later Ernie Reinkoester surrendered his will to God.
Ernie’s favorite hymn was “How Sweet and Aweful is the Place” by Isaac Watts. He would occasionally request this hymn during the Sunday evening service. Verse 3 was his favorite verse. “Why was I made to hear Thy voice and enter while there’s room? When thousands make a wretched choice and rather starve than come?” There were times I’d observe him take out his handkerchief and dab his eyes after singing the hymn. I asked him about this, and he answered, “Why would God save me; I’m so undeserving.”
In the final days of his life my son, oldest daughter, and I visited him. During those 3 days he was unable to get out of bed and interact with us. The three of us were about to return to Iowa and were in the breezeway saying goodbye to my mother when my dad suddenly entered the room and walked over to us. He gathered the four of us into his arms and began praying. The whole prayer was a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s mercy and grace shown to him and his family. Days later Ernie Reinkoester, my dad, came face to face with his Savior and Lord; Jesus.
Like my dad I don’t know why God chose to save our family from His wrath that our sin so deserved. But one thing I do know. It was all God’s doing. “Twas the same love that spread the feast that sweetly drew us in. Else we had still refused to taste and perish in our sin.” Verse 4, Hymn - “How Sweet and Aweful is the Place”