Joseph Reynolds Support Fund

There is no sufficient quantity or vocabulary of words to describe the life of my soul brother, Joseph Reynolds… and I by no means can capture the fullness of his story in this single post, but my intention is to honor him with my words and with my life, in the way that I believe he would have wanted his story to be told.

Joseph departed from his earthly temple on December 15, 2023, at the age of 38. He would have turned 39 on January 11, 2024. The loss of his physical presence is DEEPLY felt by those who have known and loved him. I grieve the loss of my best friend more than I can explain… but I grieve most deeply for his wife, Cynthia… his son (my godson), Elijah, and his mother, Lori… nothing can ever replace the physical presence of those we love. Despite this, it gives me great peace to know that he is finally free from the mountain of suffering that accumulated across the span of his life. The pain he endured is impossible to describe… he hid it from most of those he loved, because he didn’t want them to hurt for him. It truly cannot be fathomed. I witnessed the depth of his pain firsthand during our final visit at the end of October. There was no part of his body that did not hurt on a daily basis… it was a monumental effort for him walk from the bed to the couch… every step might as well have been 10 miles. He was rarely able to sleep due to the depth of his pain, and despite his incredible strength and willpower to conquer and overcome, his body eventually gave up the fight. I know in my heart that he never gave up mentally… he would have endured the pain forever to remain here with his wife and son… but I believe that God finally made that decision for him.

Joseph’s strength and faith will live on forever… for all of the suffering he endured, his faith remained unshaken… he truly was a mountain. Where so many would have forsaken their faith through an inability to understand WHY God was allowing this level of suffering to be upon him… he remained steadfast. His will to heal and to lead his family was nearly infinite. I now feel his strength in me as I write this message.

We were always spiritually connected… from the moment we met at Bethel Church in Norman, Oklahoma, our bond was anchored in place. This anchor grew deeper when we journeyed to Haiti together to serve at the Hands and Feet Project… I recall sitting on the roof of the orphanage and feeling God moving between us. In our early friendship, he was more physically able… we played hackey sack… tossed frisbees… climbed mountains… rode motorcycles across Oklahoma… and shared the deepest, heart-centered conversations and dreams for serving the world together. We were always there for each other, even when we were oceans apart. He was the one friend who knew the depth of my pain during my divorce… our phone conversations always lifted both of our spirits. I shared my journals with him and he always encouraged me to write and share my voice. There will never be another like him.

On the night of his passing, I felt a profound heaviness in my chest, and an overwhelming sadness that I couldn’t place. I went to sleep that night, and he appeared to me in a dream. Rarely do I ever remember my dreams… and it did not come back into my memory until after I had heard the news of his passing that next morning. As I was sharing the news with my family in tears, my mom asked me how old he was… and that’s when the dream came back into my awareness. In the dream, he was standing tall… lean… muscular… skin glowing… a smile beaming from his face… and he said to me, “Hey brother, I have a new birthday.” I asked him, “What do you mean? Your birthday was so awesome… January 11th… 1/11… why would you want a new birthday?” He just smiled at me, and the feeling that washed over me was one of peace and joy. He was in his new body without pain… fit and able to once again climb the mountains… kick the hackey sack… chase the frisbee. He is free.

I know that he came to me in that way so I could spread the message of his joy and freedom from pain to those he loved. He has given me strength to write this message, and to share the story of his passing with those who loved him the most deeply.

I feel it on my heart to carry on his ministry… the mission that he so much wanted to be able to fufill during his time here on Earth… to spread his light and love… to support his family and to tell his story… to embody the strength and faith that he so beautifully displayed. All of his strength was being used in this life to simply survive… but now, his suffering is over, and his soul is fully empowered to continue his work from the other side. I can feel that my strength has been multiplied through these revelations, and through his presence with me, and I pray that those who loved him are imbued with this same strength as they read these words.

Joseph is not gone… his physical body was only a temporary dwelling for a soul who’s mission was too large to be contained in a single dimension. Although it may seem like life’s struggles overcame him, this is not the truth. His love and light continue onward… the darkness could not snuff it out. His ministry continues through those who knew him, and his son Elijah is a continuation of his story.

I love you brother, always and forever – you inspire me in more ways than I ever could have expressed to you while you were here. Please continue to pour your love onto us during this time where we grieve the loss of your human existence. Even in the mourning, I choose to celebrate the life that you lived and bring glory to God and Jesus through the continued telling of your story. There is so much more to tell… and I vow to tell it well. We have much work to do together while I’m still here, and I know I’ll see you again in the next life. Death is but a doorway. Love has won… it is finished.

For those of you moved by this story, we are working to get financial support for Joseph’s family during this time to prepare for his funeral. I am including a link to the Gofundme here… any amount will help to ease the suffering and alleviate financial concerns for the family. Thank you in advance for your contributions.

Best friend, soul brother, husband, father, son, light warrior, Jesus follower

I love you forever

Joseph Vernon Lane Reynolds (1/11/85 - 12/15/23)