My PawPaw is the richest man I know. He hid it well behind the tattered overalls, white v-neck t-shirts, and large sombrero he was commonly seen wearing while feeding the animals. He hid it well behind the walls of the small cinder block house that was full of a thousand little gizmos and fixes he had rigged to make life a little easier for he and my Grandmamommy. He also hid it well behind the numerous hand-painted cars he drove through the years, like his famous station-wagon turned El Camino. There were a thousand ways he hid his riches from the world, but everyone who met My PawPaw knew about his true treasures.
My PawPaw was rich because he didn’t believe in a diversified portfolio, but instead spent his life investing in an inheritance whose value he wasn’t fully able to understand until just a few days ago. PawPaw stored his treasures where he knew they were safe, not in the thank yous and high esteems of others, but in the arm of his Father in heaven. His investments were quiet ones as well, most of which you probably didn’t even know about.
When his grandmother passed away, PawPaw didn’t sell his grandparent’s home, but instead allowed a family in need to move in.
He did the same thing for another family after my GrandMom moved out of the spring branch house back in 1991.
He also took his role as a Sunday School teacher so seriously that He devoted himself to daily prayer and study of the scripture and even regularly fasted so that the Lord would use him to teach others the Word. I never had a chance to attend one of his classes, but those of you who did would probably agree that the Lord used My PawPaw to greatly increase your understanding of the scriptures.
In times where his sons were estranged from their sons, he listened to and offered advice to his sons, but still reached out in tenderness and love to his grandsons.
None of these things, however were more important to him than what My PawPaw believed was his greatest job. To daily tend to and care for his wife, my GrandMom, Annie Mae. These past few years, PawPaw endured his own pain and discomfort each day so that every need of my GrandMom was met.
I know there are many more stories about the ways in which PawPaw eternally invested his time and resources generously to care for other people, but he was so careful not to tout his own good deeds that we’ll probably never know them all. The reason for all this investing is because PawPaw founded his life on nurturing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer and study of God’s word. This relationship however, was not simply a theological relationship or a logical relationship, or even a practical relationship, no it was an intimate, deeply meaningful relationship. It was the only relationship PawPaw spent more time tending to than his relationship with my GrandMom.
And like every meaningful relationship we have, it changes you, and reshapes your life in the likeness of the other. PawPaw knew and received the grace that was offered to him through faith in Jesus Christ, but knew God didn’t call him to sit around and wait for his day in heaven. He was called to be salt and light in the world around him, and not so that others would think more highly of him, but so that others would glorify God.
PawPaw used to tell me how much he admired those ministers and preachers who could so boldly proclaim the good news to any and everyone whether they liked it or not, but despite his burly physique and charming smile, those were not the gifts that God had given him. He was a mild-tempered, humble man, gifted at loving people and ministering through his many words of encouragement. Someone a long time ago told me, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” I think this was the testimony of my PawPaw’s life, he wanted people know he cared.
So if you think of my PawPaw as a good, decent man; whether to you he was a brother in Christ, landlord, neighbor, grandfather, father, or husband, know he was not simply a good man but a Godly man. I know PawPaw does not regret storing away all those thank yous and treasures in heaven, believe me, his father, who saw what PawPaw was doing in secret has rewarded him greatly.
Comments
Post a Comment