Hey Trent,
This one hurts really bad this time. When that message came on Saturday afternoon while we were walking around the Stock Show waiting for you to get there... it kinda shut me down. Reading that instead of saying Goodbye to you at the SS you were already in the presence of our Savior.
Sitting around the table with you and Ty and Chet on Friday night I felt so thankful for your friendship. You have always encouraged me, Trent. From the day I met you at Prairie Bible when we showed up “almost” late! You were the first person I met. I didn’t want to be there, to be honest...being the kid of a camp director is sometimes really hard and going new places is not something I always enjoyed. But that day I can honestly say that I met some of my best friends.
Trent, there’s been a lot of memories on my mind the last couple days. From driving around Brookings with you and Cole and Ridge…to eating at Culvers with You and Greg, Nathan and Kendall. Oh yeah, and Walmart at midnight in the juice isle trying to get Cole to find 5-hour energies. Or when you were here helping us plant trees and build a shed and you bought sardines for the wild game feed!
And most recently that last night with you and Ty and Chet and watching you drive away Saturday morning with that classic Trent look leaning out the window.
Trent, every time we had a conversation it was about ministry. I know that’s where your heart was! Do you know how much that encouraged me? Do you know how bad I needed a friend like you? Maybe that’s why it was so hard to take... maybe that’s why I felt so angry when I took that walk aimlessly through the stock show that night looking for an answer. I saw so many people lost and without hope, looking for something to fill a void in their life. And here was you... Someone that never strayed from the straight and narrow. You knew where the Hope was found and you were so set on living your life and sharing that with everyone that you met! So why??? I didn’t get it. I just couldn’t understand. I felt things I never had before. I questioned everything. Everything I knew to be true.
I don’t think I understand yet...
But I am seeing a little light.
You were ready, Trent. You knew the answer to eternal life. You knew your eternal destiny was secure!
So Trent,
your Legacy isn’t over. You touched So. Many. People! I know that to God 24 years and 100 years are the same. Time has no limit. But life on earth does.
It’s a decision every one of us needs to make. Will we choose Jesus? Or will we choose to ignore the call and live until we die... only to spend eternity in hell.
Thanks for everything you taught me, Trent. Thanks for staying true. For the jokes. For the smiles. For the memories. Thanks for that last phone call in September... When you challenged me to keep serving “For the Kingdom”. Thanks for choosing To live for Jesus... no matter the cost. I’ll hold on to that promise... Until we all get to heaven. And boy, oh boy, what a day of rejoicing that will be!
P.S. This was the sunrise Saturday Morning. I was really in awe that day.... probably really can’t compare to heaven though huh?
— with Trent Hofer.