This last week we celebrated the life of my father, a man filled with gentle passion. He was more than ready to step into heaven. His spirit grew weary of his mortal home. And then, quietly, he slipped away to be with the Lord.
My mother wanted the theme of the service to be, “Home with Jesus.” She chose the song, “Goin’ Home” to begin. “Quiet like, some still day; I’m jus’ going home.” He left here as he lived, quietly.
I discovered this week that my father suffered from PTSD in World War II. He flew over Japan and saw terrible things there. His military service wasn’t something he spoke of often.
He preferred to stay focused on what he could do to help. Even when he was over 70, he continued to serve in the local church. He scrubbed toilets and took out the trash. Barely able to carry boxes, he helped people move. And he always had a kind word for anyone.
He loved babies and little children. When my daughter was born, he arrived with every soft shirt he owned and ready to snuggle. His eye was on people from the back of any gathering, looking for someone to cheer or comfort.
He lived his life with a daring passion. Serving people and showing them God’s love was his pattern. He may have been quiet, but his presence was felt.
Now he is absent from this earth. He is home with Jesus, and he led the way for us. Will you live your life with a daring passion, serving others with gentleness, and then step into heaven?
2 Corinthians 5:8 There is no doubt that we live with a daring passion, but in the end, we prefer to be gone from this body so that we can be at home with the Lord.
