JESUP – Jesup Bible Fellowship Lead Pastor Clint Bunting welcomed the crowd to the fourth annual Jim Smith Remembrance 4.62 Mile Run/Walk on April 12.
Sergeant Jim Smith of the Iowa State Patrol #462 was shot and killed in the line of duty on April 9, 2021.
Sgt. Smith’s widow Kathy Smith thanked participants and spoke about Jim, his life, and working through grief.
“Thank you all for being here today,†she said. “I also want to thank my church family, all the donors and volunteers including the Patriot Guard Riders who helped make this day possible. To any First Responders, thank you for your service.
“This is the 4th year we’ve held this event to honor Jim… a man who loved serving God and protecting the people around him. We all have suffered a great loss and miss him very much. But today the message I want to focus on is finding joy in the midst of our sadness.
“I’ve recently joined a group called GriefShare and we meet here at this church every week. I want to share with you what I learned this past Monday… God gives us grace to do the things that He calls us to do in His Word. Philippians 4:4 says, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.’ Grief makes war against joy, but by God‘s grace we can fight for joy, and even in the midst of our grief, we can find things to rejoice in. We can rejoice that we had our loved ones in our lives. Grief is the echo of love…. sometimes grief is the echo of blessing and we should trace our grief back down to the blessing, back down to love and rejoice in that.
I believe the way to find true joy is being in God’s presence. Worshiping, giving thanks, and praising Him draws us closer to the source of all joy. We can find peace with God’s help. And remember, we are not alone. God is present even in our darkest times.
“In the Bible, King David confesses in Psalm 139 that there is nowhere he can go that God is not with him. It’s true. There is literally no place we can go, where God is not with us. Sometimes we forget that. I forget that. I can’t speak for you, but this gives me comfort.
“Finding joy in the midst of our grief, is a journey of faith and hope. It’s about acknowledging our sadness while we embrace God’s promise of eternal life and eternal joy. Easter is right around the corner. The resurrection of Jesus reminds us of the victory over sin and death…. That death is not the end.
“Life is too short, and eternity is too long, to live it without God. When we die and leave this earth, we will spend forever somewhere. John 3:16 promises that everyone who asks Jesus into their life will spend eternity in heaven with Him. Jim knew this and I know he would want me to share this good news with you. Jim is experiencing eternal joy in the presence of his Savior…. This is not our promised land…. heaven is.
“Thank you for being here to honor an amazing man who dedicated his life serving an amazing God!â€
Inside the church, there were several displays honoring Sgt. Smith. There was also a display regarding the Hero Center project, a facility with meeting and sport spaces dedicated in Jim’s honor.
Visit for more information on Jim, his life, and his legacy.
