Tribute to Grandparents, Part 1...

For those of you who don't know, my grandpa (Paw) went to be with Jesus this week. Following is the tribute I gave at his funeral today:

In I Thessalonians, the Bible instructs us not to grieve as those who are without hope.

My grandpa was an amazing man, and so I have a few memories to share…

Paw was fun…

One of my fondest childhood memories comes from when he took me to King's Island. He wasn't an extreme risk taker, and he wasn't a roller coaster rider. In fact, he probably could have skipped on the rides altogether… well, every ride except one… and it was too memorable to ever forget.

There was a super slide there, at the time, that he simply couldn't resist. Mammaw and Mom and I watched as he climbed to the top, jumped into a burlap sack, and gave himself an extra push off the top. Part way down, he was going way too fast, so he put his hands down to slow his descent. He took almost all of the skin off of his palms! This would have slowed most people down, but not Paw. He took a quick trip to first aid, had his hands bandaged, enjoyed the rest of the day, and then drove home, steering with his elbows…

Paw took me, every year, to Santa Claus Train. He created outrageous Christmas scavenger hunts that led to outstanding Christmas gifts. And he carried me on his shoulders, through parking lots, until I was far too big to be riding on anybody's shoulders, and when we arrived at the storefront he always had change in his coin purse so I could ride the ponies. He took me to Frankenmuth as often as possible and splurged on the famous chicken dinner, even though it was never even close to as good as the chicken he could fry up himself!

Paw was faithful…

He adored children, and especially his grandchildren. When I was little I remember him going off to work with his packed lunches that included fruit pies of every variety. He fed me plenty of junk food, and I repaid him with Old Spice for Christmas… every year… well, every year except one… and he never let me forget it…

Paw only had an eighth grade education, but he could recite arithmetic facts in fractions of seconds, he was the only person I knew who could sing the alphabet backwards, and he taught me how to tie my shoes. And, he was a lifelong learner. If you knew him well, you know that he had many questions. But he wasn't like the average person with many questions. He was never satisfied with an answer until he had researched the subject to the absolute best of his ability, and he never just took someone's word for it… well, except for One… and I will never forget it… Paw made sure of that…

Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (NIV). And Paw sought Jesus with all of his heart… He was faithful to study the written message of God, the Bible, and God was faithful to His promise, because He was found.

Paw was fruitful…

He left a legacy for me… and for my children… and for the many generations that are to come.

There is a lot of my grandfather in me. I am stubborn… and outspoken… and loud. But there's much more to it than that. Paw instilled a love for Scripture in me. He would sit with me and read passage after passage, studying to find out how each verse related to another and fit together in the big picture… the story of God.

He sang to me, under the tree in his backyard… And he rejoiced when I learned to recite all of the books of the Bible in order, in that same place… well, all of the books except one… and he never let me forget it…

Mark 4:30-32 says, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."

If my grandpa had a life verse that would be it, because Paw was like that. His life was not perfect. He was not flashy… or highly educated… or rich. But he taught me that choosing to live for Christ can bring transforming change, and what you do on Earth matters. And that's one lesson I will never forget.

I did miss a few very important details in the above tribute...

* I have Paw to thank for my nose... and the noses of all of my children...

* Paw didn't like to wear his seatbelt, but I always made him put it on...

* Paw had a knack for mismatching his clothes, and I enjoyed being his fashion advisor from the time I was four or five years old... imagine that... me, a fashion advisor...

* When you really love someone, 80 years is not nearly enough...

By the way, today was the first time I have ever been present for the folding of the American flag at a funeral. Paw was a World War II veteran. The experience was amazing. It's hard to describe anything as beautiful in the midst of such sadness, but this ceremony truly was. It left me feeling so very proud of my grandpa and his service to our country.

I love you Paw. I'll miss you more than I can say, but I know that I will see you again...

Lisa