Daniel has always had a helpers’ heart. If someone was having a rough time and needed something fixed he would do what he could to help especially for family and friends. I have had so many people tell me how nice Daniel was and how they had thought he treated others with respect and I think that was part of his helpers heart.
Daniel loved his nieces and nephews. When he would come to our house to fix something he always tried to made sure he took time to visit with them. I always thought it was sweet how he would say “this will give me an excuse to visit the nieces and nephews”. Daniel has always liked to be busy doing something, he was never really one to sit still. I remember that even at a young age he loved to tear things apart. He took apart a remote control car, had parts left over that he claimed were not necessary and (if I remember correctly) after he’d put it back together it still worked. That is probably why he could fix so many things on vehicles. He loved the roar of an engine, but yet he loved quiet, calm, classical music.
When Daniel first told me that they thought he had cancer I was so emotional that he had to calm me down. He told me that he wasn’t afraid or worried because he was secure in his salvation. He said he was more relieved that it wasn’t Jonathan or me, because we’d be leaving behind a spouse and kids. I am so thankful that I was able to spend some time with him over the last month and that the last words we spoke to each other, last time we were together, were the words I love you! I don’t think anything quite prepares you for something like this, but knowing he is not in pain and that we will see each other again makes it a little easier.
I didn’t realize until May 1st that the funeral arrangements were set for May the 4th (Daniel loved Star Wars and would watch it with my kids). On this day May the 4th I am going to always try to remember that the Force of God’s strength and comfort will get us through! I don’t know for sure what his favorite Bible verse was, but mom reminded me he liked Romans 7 and 8.
To Support and Encourage
Poem written By Christine Esteph for Daniel Kahler on 3-27-2020 with last stanza added May 1st!
I want to be your support and encouragement
Your strength when you’re not strong.
I want to be there when you are spent
I want us to always get along.
I want to be what you need me to be
When things don’t go the way you hoped.
To be able to supply you with what you may need
To know I may have helped you to cope.
I know you have all the information you need
For making decisions on how to go forward from here.
I am praying that His strength and wisdom we heed
God is the provider, and he doesn’t want us to fear.
I know you’re my little bro
You’ve been a blessing in many big ways.
When I didn’t know where else to go
You helped me get through those days.
Now it’s my turn to be here for you
We’ll all stand this storm together
When two or more gathers in prayer
We have the strength to handle life’s weather.
We’ll take this one step at a time
One minute, one hour, one week.
If we can’t find the reason or rhyme
Then it’s God’s power we’ll seek.
It’s been a little over a month since you were diagnosed
I wanted to make more memories to last.
I wanted more time to make the most
It all happened way too fast!
A Gofundme campaign has been set up to help the family pay for funeral and burial expenses of Daniel.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-with-funeral-expenses-for-daniel-kahler
