Pumpkins, Patience, and a Servant Heart

It’s been 4 1/2 months since Pops passed away. A time of in- between, a time of floating, a time of grief. Almost every day I see or hear or read or experience something that reminds me of him.

I heard “All I Can Say’ by David Crowder Band last Saturday in my car, and cried til the song was over, thinking the whole time ‘I hope this was my cry for the week and I can keep it together at church with Mamaw tomorrow.”

October is closing in and with it comes pumpkin patches.

Pops used to volunteer at the pumpkin patch at SHCC every year, every shift he could. Mamaw would have to drag him away and tell him ‘Tom, it’s someone else’s turn to help!’ This past Sunday, I went to church with my Mamaw- I’ve been with her twice since Pops passed away. And of course, before the service began, someone in a bright orange shirt was up at the front of the sanctuary begging for volunteers for the pumpkin patch. I’m sure Pops was laughing down at us thinking if he were there he would have jumped up out of the pew and said ‘sign me up!’ That’s just the type of man he was-a servant leader- I know where my mom gets it from and I certainly know where I get it from; it’s in my blood and always will be.

The church is my etxarte- my home away from home- it’s where I go to be humbled and brought to my knees again. The church- yes, we had that in common. At the end of the summer, my last trip up to the lake, my uncle brought my grandpa’s jewelry box up to the house so that we could scope out the treasures inside. I saved his ‘Elder’ badge, and numerous other pins, from his home church of Southern Hills Christian Church and the Christian Church Disciples of Christ. Treasures, memories, that I will hold close to my heart forever.

It is so hard to watch the people we love just sort of fall away like the leaves of a solid oak tree that we have come to rely on. But if there is anything I have learned, it is that we cannot rely on the earthly beings we treasure; God has made sure that we know that he has a kingdom of love waiting for us- we must be patient. According to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, wisdom recognizes that everything in life has its own season—in human activities as in the realm of nature. “There is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (3:1).

Dad tells the story of when Pops was retiring from the Bureau of Prisons. Mom and Dad weren’t married yet, but they soon would be. Dad tells how he thanked his wife and all his children [ Dad and my aunt Julie included]  and how much that meant to have him be accepted into the family so respectfully and so fully. Just another one of the many ways he showed his love.

I apologize for waiting so long to share my memories but I now know that his story deserves to be told. If you never had the chance to meet him, I’m sorry that you were not afforded the opportunity . I can’t say this enough- he was man of unparalleled passion and agape love and I aspire and dream big dreams that I continue to serve my God, just as he did.

peace and love,

~e