 |
| My parents on their 68th anniversary |
Originally written on August 24, 2014 upon the passing of my wonderful father into eternity
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To all my wonderful family---
Originally written on August 24, 2014 upon the passing of my wonderful father into eternity
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To all my wonderful family---
Today we lost our father, our grandfather, our
great-grandfather, our in-law, etc. Though few can suspect it yet, who are not
related to us, the world has also lost a great soul as well. I do not mean
great in the typical way the world counts greatness—he left behind few
possessions; he never managed to acquire much wealth that wasn’t already owed
to someone else somewhere, and he never lead any army into military battle etc.
However he was great in CHARACTER. Great in the way the world deeply longs for
greatness-- but rarely sees. Great in that he reflected to the world, and
especially to those of us who knew him best, more of the Image of God than most
of us have found elsewhere in our travels. Things like FAITHFULNESS, HONOR,
HUMILITY, TRUSTWORTHINESS, DEPENDABILITY, COMPASSION, PATIENCE, KINDNESS; all
wrapped up in a servant’s heart. Many
men possess some or a few of these qualities in good measure. But we were
blessed to find them all residing in him at once. That is why so many of us
struggled with the pain of not being able to have as much time or develop as
much of a relationship with him as we wanted—we felt cheated to have to share
him with so many others when we needed him more for ourselves. But he was only
one man. How one man was able to divide himself among so many needy little
people without losing his mind is astounding to contemplate. He did it though--by
never taking time for himself. Rare were the fishing trips that, even there, he
didn’t have to take someone with him for company. But he didn’t complain. He merely
used it as time to give us even more of himself than we were normally able to
get. He stayed with his wife FAR, FAR beyond the limits that most of us—even the
ones who love their spouses the most—could have or would have endured. Why?-- I
asked him that once. He told me that when he made his wedding vows he knew he
was not making them merely to my mother, but to God as well; and that even if
he could walk away from my Mom, he could never walk away from God, and still
have his honor. He intended to keep his vows until death as he had promised.
And so he did.
I could stop writing right there and it is enough to
meditate on for the rest of our lives. But he was so much more. He had such a
big heart---such a reflection of God’s welcoming love. He didn’t care or hardly
noticed that some of his grandkids were bi-racial, or mentally challenged etc.
They were just his grandkids; “the kids” he called them. They were all his, and
he loved them all dearly. If you were related to him you can be completely
assured that he prayed for you on a regular basis. That he worried over you
when you were having difficulty. That if he was able, he would sell what he
needed to keep himself, in order to get money to keep you out of jail, or from
being evicted. He never complained that it meant he was paying the consequences
for your actions---because he loved you. It was just something he regarded as
his role as your relative. In this also he reflected to us the heart of God,
who paid the ultimate consequence for our mess, in sending his Son Jesus to die
to set us free.
I believe in eternal security today. I believe God will
always forgive me and stand by me. Why—merely because the Bible says so? No.
That should be enough. But I have the added benefit as my father’s daughter of
having had his living example: If my dad, a husband who was mistreated and hurt
many times over by his bride could always love her forgive her, and restore her
despite herself, being only a mere man—HOW MUCH MORE can the heart of God be
faithful to me who has walked such a crooked path to his kingdom? No, God will receive
me there with open arms, just as he has happily welcomed my dad today; with the
loving, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”. May we his family all follow
him there, by shining forth that same Image of the Glory of God to the world we
have been left behind in. He would be praying for nothing less now from those
of us left on earth, who have been blessed to bear his name. You’ll always have my heart, daddy…..
 |
| He could always take my heart of stone and melt it with his love |
