Popular Baptist minister and author Dr Ergun Caner has shared feelings of loss but also blessed assurance after his teenage son committed suicide on Tuesday.
Although Caner is devastated by the death of his son, Braxton, he expressed confidence that he will see Braxton in Heaven one day.
On July 30, the day after Braxton's death, Caner simply tweeted, "1 Thessalonians 4:13-14." The scriptures read: "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
<sup>"For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him" (New International Version).
Caner followed the biblical tweet with a poignant message: "No words. No sermon. No funny quotes. No answers. No note," he wrote. "Nothing but excruciating pain & the assurance that I'll see him in Glory."
On Thursday, the Brewton-Parker College president shared a photo of himself from January 29, 2006, baptising a then six-year-old Braxton. He captioned the picture, "Time doesn't matter. Moments do."
A final tweet announced Braxton's celebration of life service.
"Service for the life of Braxton Caner: Saturday, Aug 2, 2014 at 2pm at New River Church (Hudson Oaks TX)," Caner shared.
Condolences have poured in from across the country for the bereaved family, including prayers from Kay Warren, wife of megachurch pastor Rick Warren.
"No words, only tears and prayers for the family of Braxton Caner," she wrote in a tweet.
The Warrens lost one of their sons, Matthew, to suicide in April 2013. He was 27 years old.
Braxton Paige Caner was 15 years old and a rising sophomore at Aledo High School in Aledo, Texas. The teen accepted the Lord as his personal Savior at the age of six, and was a member of Willow Park Baptist Church in Aledo.
He is survived by his parents, Ergun and Jill, and a younger brother, Drake.
