Today was filled with mixed emotions. Jim’s maternal grandfather, “Pap,” went home to be with the Lord early this morning (many of you may remember him; he officiated at our wedding). We are so thankful that, because he was saved, we are confident that he is now in the presence of our Heavenly Father. He is no longer bound by earthly sickness and sorrows. However, we grieve the loss of such a wonderful figure in our lives. We ‘ll miss his funny rhyming messages on our answering machine, like the classic, “It’s Father Clark, calling after dark!” We’ll miss his generous hospitality – we couldn’t escape a visit to his house without hearty snacks or meals, including his signature Kielbasa dish. We’ll miss his common sense advice, such as his trick for enduring physical pain: “It’s just mind over matter – if you don’t mind, it don’t matter!” We’ll miss his tendency to doze during family gatherings, his penchant for sweater vests, his hearty laugh at everyone’s jokes, his strong singing voice on Sunday mornings, but most of all, his deep and abiding love of God. We will miss you, Pap.
Jim will be traveling out of state to be with his family and attend the funeral. Please pray that the girls don’t make a surprise appearance while he is away. The last thing I need to worry about is Jim careening down the Pennsylvania turnpike at breakneck speed in an attempt to outrun my labor pains! I can just imagine Jim arguing with a state trooper who has pulled him over for speeding…but with Jim’s power of persuasion, who knows? Maybe he’d end up with a police escort all the way to the hospital!
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