Written by David Seibel | 2.3.2019

This speech was initially shared with staff and parents the week after Miss Emily Hall, our First Grade Teacher at the time, passed away tragically on February 3, 2019. We share again today in honor of her precious life.

          As a father, I love to spend time with my daughter. As we go about our days together, I enjoy the face-to-face time we have together. There is something pleasant about seeing your own likeness in your creation. There is a visual sense of ownership when the person looking back at you has the same facial structure, eye color, and skin complexion. I love being physically near to my little daughter. Whether it be comforting her, teaching her, encouraging her, I love to get down on my knee and hold her and look her straight in her eyes. Not only is she a priority for me, but she produces vast affection for me. I believe any human being’s deepest longing is to be fully known and fully loved. We want to be understood, and we want to be cared for. In my presence, my daughter is fully known and fully loved. 

          As a Father, I know that God loves time with his daughter Emily. As God and Emily go about their days together, God enjoys the face to face time that they have together. There is something pleasant for God when He sees His own likeness in His daughter. There is a spiritual sense of ownership when the Father sees His purity, His love, and His insight reflected in the life of His daughter. God loves being physically near to His daughter Emily. Whether this be comforting, encouraging, or teaching, He loves to get down on His knee and hold her close and look straight into her eyes. Not only is Emily a priority to Him, but she produces vast affection in Him. He takes pleasure in the presence of His daughter. Emily feels fully understood before His all-seeing eye. There is nothing about her that is not known by Him. For Emily, this does not result in fear but rather a deep sense of being loved. She is fully known and fully loved.  

          If Emily’s life is represented by a verse, it is Matthew 5:8. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” I have often not really known how to understand this verse, but God has given me some greater insight through the loss of dear Emily. The reason Jesus said this in the Beatitudes is because He wants His disciples to understand the deep connection between the heart and the eye. He wants them to know a pure and obedient heart enables the eyes of faith to see the glory of God with greater clarity. He is identifying a correlation between our heart’s trust and obedience with our powers to discern and see the unseeable. In other words, the purer our lives are, the greater our ability to see what God sees, feel what God feels, and do what God does. This is something that Emily Hall incarnated while she was with us. She walked in purity and, as a result, had a big view of her Father. 

          When Emily was with us, I saw so much congruence between her words and actions, her deeds and her creeds, and her religion and her relationships. Emily’s purity of heart enabled her to see God while she was on earth. While in Heaven, she can see God face to face. Even more than she did while on earth, she is living Coram Deo and Soli Deo Gloria. May we go and do likewise as best as we can. Thank you, Lord, for the light you have shone through Emily. Shine now in our darkness and loss, Amen.

If you would like to make a gift to Coram Deo Academy in honor of Miss Emily Hall, please use this link.