my grandpa bud knew this world wasn’t his home. he knew it was just a waiting room until he reached Home, and he anxiously awaited the day when Heaven would become a reality. with joy and a heavy heart, I can say that today was that day! “his heart failed,” they say. but I know that his heart’s longing for Heaven just got too big that it just exploded. He wanted to be with Jesus and so he went.
my grandpa was the most precious, cutest old man ever. i don’t care what anyone else says.
my grandpa was stubborn, but the positive side of this stubbornness was his loyalty. my grandpa bud was one of the loyalist people I ever met. if anyone needed anything, they knew who to call.
my grandpa was a man of integrity. he worked hard, never taking the easy way. my grandpa showed mercy. if someone could not pay him the rent for the building he owned, he waited patiently until they could. when the war came, he served his country faithfully.
my grandpa has been a faithful husband for over 65 years to grandma betty. I once asked him what made his marriage last. he said the Lord and compromise, that they were in it together. I loved to watch them so tenderly care for each other. sure, at times they butted heads, but they grew old together. he couldn’t hear, she can’t see..but together they took on the world.
my grandpa LOVED fishing. he was a fisher of men, but many a perch and northern did he catch in his day. minnows and worms, he choice of bate. to him, fishing was the closest thing to Heaven on Earth. some days he would let others join him, friends and family. I remember going out on the boat with him when I was little, as I squirmed to take my first fish off the line, he put his hand on mine and showed me how. I thought he was so brave, and he was. after telling him that he couldn’t be out on the boat by himself any longer, he replied, “I’m never alone. It’s me and Jesus.” oh what times they must have shared out there on the peaceful lake, the sun rising and setting, the ripples on the water. what conversations they must have had. this was the place my grandpa’s soul could breathe. this was his place with Jesus that nobody else could take away. last night he had his eyes closed and my mom said “dad, you okay?” he said “I’m just dreaming.” She said “about what?” he said, “fishing.” I wonder if the fish are biting up in Heaven..
my grandpa loved the cubs. in his later days his schedule would revolve around the games. even when they lost, he was still their biggest fan, even if that meant he yelled at the T.V. he was also a baseball player himself. a catcher. he played for his church’s team. and he loved it.his knees and hips might not have..(but i thought the fact that one of his shoes had to have an extra wedge put on them was precious).
if my grandpa was on The Price Is Right, he would have won every single game. he watched it every day and had each game down to a science.
my grandpa loved to play games. SkipBo being one of his favorites. he was very competitive. probably one of the most competitive players I have ever met, but the joy which leaked out of him upon him winning..i trade losing every time to see that grin, hear that holler. I remember playing with him about a year ago. he told me, “now amy, this may be the last game you will ever play with me. well, gramps you were right. [I let him win, and yes I got to see the joy].
my grandpa always like to grab my toes and make a silly noise. it always made me giggle.
circus peanuts and pretzels..each time i eat them, I’ll think of you gramps.
my grandpa would sit back and watch. he could see behind people's fake masks. here we are last Christmas as he was telling me about who he knew died their hair and how they were living a lie. we sat and went around the room and he told me about each person in our family, the good and the bad. he took time to look beyond the surface.
bud would always say “you only live once, might as well make it good.” he usually would say this when he wanted salty food, food he wasn’t supposed to be eating. or a big piece of cake. (it was cute to watch him sneak these things. he was such a goober, always up to something). but he had a point. life is too short not to enjoy it.
I can still hear my grandpa walking along with this hymn on his lips “Wonderful, wonderful, Jesus is to me, Counselor, mighty God, Prince of peace is He. Saving me, keeping me from all sin and shame, Wonderful is my Redeemer. Praise His Name.” only now he sings it at the feet of the throne, face to face with Jesus.
so, for the new year, my dear friends, I encourage you all to love your grandparents. (and if your grandparents if the last day ordained for your grandparents has already past, be a surrogate grandchild to someone else). write them a letter. pick of the phone and call them. spend time with the elderly. encourage them. listen to their stories. soak up their wisdom. they have lived life. if they know Jesus, oh how sweet it is to see his faithfulness in someone who has walked daily with Jesus for so long [think about all you have learned since you started walking with Jesus and multiply that by a few decades..woah..right?]. and if they don’t, what better time to lead them to Jesus then when they are nearing death, when they realize that this world is not reality. there is purpose, even in old age. help them see that purpose. don't just take my word for it..it’s biblical!
“Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.” - Job 32:7
“Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly.” - Leviticus 19:32
“Wisdom is with aged men, with long life is understanding.” –Job 12:12
"soon you will read the newspaper that I am dead. don't believe it for a moment. I will be more alive than ever before."
“our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.” (C. S. Lewis)
enjoy the inns this year dear friends, but know that Home just may be around the bend..and remember that physical life is nothing compared to all the LIFE we have in Him
“Your steadfast love is better than life. God's steadfast love in one hand with physical life in the other. His love trumps life every time.”
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