The special message of a dying man...

?Tampa, FL - On a sunny afternoon in March 2021, a small group from South Tampa Fellowship sat down with Eric and Claire Craven for an interview. The Connecticut transplants had found STF Church online during the COVID-19 quarantines and were ready to share their story of how God had blessed them in the midst of the storm. Their storm was not the global pandemic. It was painfully more personal and with epic consequences for their family of five.?

Eric knew he was dying and had things yet to say. For this recording, he’d typed out his answers on life, love and faith.?

“My sweet husband has ALS, which is better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. His ability to talk and communicate is a little rough, but his mind is all there,” explained Claire to the camera crew. “If you don’t understand him, we’ll do a little interpretation. ” The couple had received the questions in advance and – ever the high achiever – Eric had typed each answer on his iPad.??The iPad was placed in front of Eric so he could see and read his responses aloud.?

“She’s going to ask you the question and then I want you to read your answer. Okay?” Claire encouraged Eric. “I just want you to relax. They can decide what they’re going to use or if they are going to use subtitles.” It’s struggle especially painful for this Pepsi Co executive accustomed to speaking in boardrooms and to executives all over the globe. Years into his disease, ALS had robbed him of much of his dignity and control, but not his intent to communicate or his sense of humor!?

“I didn’t say he is terminally ill. Should I have said that?” asked Claire “No, they don’t want to know that!” quipped Eric with a mischievous grin. His sense of humor was sharper than ever. If Claire got teary-eyed, he’d interject with a joke and make her laugh. When he faltered in his reading, she would pick right up where he left off. It was trademark Eric and Claire.?

The first topic was Eric's favorite: praise & worship.??

Q: What does worship mean to you???“I’m an 80’s rock guy - I had never really listened to worship music outside of church until I met my wife. Certain songs trigger different messages and especially when I’m grappling with an issue it can help me re-think my approach towards its resolution.?In the moment worship also prepares my heart to be in the presence of the Lord.”

The husband and wife duo said the music of Jesus had been a priceless gift to Eric since his terminal diagnosis. As disease robbed him of the ability to use his hands, his voice and eventually his legs, it was God’s music that set him free.??“Worship prepares my heart to come into the presence of God,” read Eric aloud. “That’s true whether I’m in church or just riding home in the car. Worship is not just a feeling for me. It’s also a call to commitment. Am I opening my Bible? Am I praying? Am I holding myself accountable to another brother in Christ? Am I making myself available to helping another brother in Christ?”

Q: What is it about Sunday worship that fills you with anticipation all week??A: “My anticipation is formed by the notion of missing worship time or part of the time results in less preparation for me personally to open my heart and say hello to God and tell Him I’m ready to hear and meditate on His word...I dreaded going to church when I was young. It was boring, ritualistic and tedious so I stopped going after graduating high school and moving out on my own. Eight years later I met my wife and we began visiting churches while we were engaged. The music was an impactful and important part of what intrigued me to delve deeper into Christianity and what it meant to follow Jesus."

"The most effective way to fully participate in the worship time is to arrive to service 10 or 15 minutes early to greet people, find your spot, breath and re-set from all that Satan throws you way to prevent you from being read to hear from God.”

Sitting next to Eric and stroking his hand was Claire.??ALS had made it hard for her husband to get the words out, but he was determined to share some advice from his unwanted vantage point - so close to death. For starters, Eric said that he wasn't angry or afraid. He wanted anyone within ear shot of this interview to know that gratitude had kept him from the grips of despair.

Q: What role has your faith played during your illness? A: “My faith in Jesus as my personal savior and bridge to God for an everlasting life in Heaven has strengthened during my illness. My doctors told us that I would have four years before I passed away and to put my affairs in order. I wasn’t supposed to be here to see my three children graduate from high school,” said Eric, “much less college. I was blessed to see all three of them graduate from both. These unexpected special years of life have been a gift from God.”??

At the time of this recording, Eric had outlived even his doctor’s best-case scenario by double – surviving nearly 9 years.??Gratitude and faith had been his best medicine.?"Be grateful in every moment," said Eric, confident in the saving grace of Christ. “Growing up I was a math and science geek, and graduated college with a degree in Physics. I have a calm demeanor and am even keeled emotionally.?I came to faith intellectually when I looked at the probabilities of creation happening through random circumstances and the probabilities that all the prophesies about Jesus made hundreds of years prior could have been fulfilled as they were in him.”

It’s impossible to tell this story without mentioning the full box of tissues required or the many times filming was paused. Eric knew he had little time left and said God had placed it on his heart to share why he was able to face death with hope & joy still intact.

Looking back, more than a year after his funeral, you could say this interview was also something else... something quite beautiful. It was quite possibly Eric's love gift to his church family at South Tampa Fellowship (STF) – the people comforting him in his final days...the ones who'd keep caring for his precious Claire long after he was gone.??

“I’m going to be honest, this is my best friend,” said Claire fighting back the tears and losing. “He’s the love of my life. So to have to walk through the process of knowing that your best friend is terminally ill is tough. I knew in my heart that God was always there, but the longer the illness goes, the more you wonder ‘God are you REALLY there?’”

Listening intently to Claire, Eric filled in the blanks with forceful nodding.??Yes, God was with them in this fight. His last day in Tampa would mark the beginning of his first day in Heaven. Of that, he had zero doubt.???

Sitting across from the couple were church staff members David Bancroft and Brianna Fernandez, with Tyler Johnston, Founder of Cole Media Productions. It’s a conversation the 3 of them say they will never forget. This dying man’s authentic joy, right down to the end, was extraordinary. ???

Q: Would you like to share anything else with the church??A: “Yes! Join a small group!”?“The warmth, love, fellowship and Biblical learning I’ve experienced has been nothing short of miraculous,” said Eric referring to their community group at STF.?Claire adding, “They don’t belittle Eric's illness, but they also know there are things he can't do anymore," then describing what happens when she drives up to the gatherings on Tuesday nights. "The men come outside, help him out of the car and walk him up the front steps of the house. It seems like such a small thing, but it’s everything to a man who just wants a little dignity.”?

At the time of this interview, the Cravens were in their third month of weekly community group led by STF trustee Steve Pickett and his wife Susan. Ironically, this dying man’s positivity and humor were such a consistent part of their gatherings that a few members asked softly if "hospice care" was the right fit for Eric. He smiled, joked and engaged with the group every Tuesday night in his own special way. How could he possibly be so close to death? For Eric and Claire, the answer was simple. “For many years I made excuses about not having time to join one or diminishing the relevance or the need to participate in one. Over time I’ve come to understand and experience the special blessings arising from participating in a small group. Not just the spiritual growth but the personal connections and Godly love. My wife and I are relatively new to Tampa and South Tampa Fellowship, we joined our small group just a couple short months ago and the warmth, love, fellowship and biblical learning have been nothing short of a miraculous gift from God.?I encourage everyone to dismiss your excuses and join a small group straight away.”

No reserve. No return. No regrets. On April 21, 2021, just 5 weeks after this recording, Eric passed away. He was only 54 years old.?

Today, his wife Claire continues to be a part of the same community group she & Eric fell in love with at STF Church. One thing has changed, though. You won’t find Claire in the front row seats where Eric held her hand during every worship service together. She has surrendered that spot... comforted by the thought of Eric jamming to the music & sitting in the front row in Heaven.?

Stay tuned for the video clip from South Tampa Fellowship. www.STFchurch.com