I know, there will be legion who say similar things. I tried to tell him pretty often when he was on this side (the not-as-wonderful side), but He was a huge blessing to hundreds, literally. As we cared for our own father, He was johnny-on-the-spot with Cil whenever we had any need and even before we could even know what our needs were. Just a few of lots of examples:1. He found my father, one day, unconscious, in the auditorium of the church building. He immediately called me and asked “which hospital?”. When I arrived at that hospital a couple of hours later, but as quick as I could, he was still there with my daddy.
2. He went back through the camera recordings to find out how Daddy got there that morning and how long he may have been in that auditorium.
3. He cleaned up the mess in that auditorium after an octagenarian had been lying there for hours.
4. He brought us a walker and a wheel chair.
5. He acted as a buffer when my dad did not understand things or hear things correctly
6. He gave me comfort when others saw problems as being larger than life.
7. One day, he came to the house and helped me practically “carry” my father to the car to take him to the ER. He patiently waited for me to try and give Dad some nourishment before he and Cil, with extreme physical exertion, helped get him in the car. I could not have “done” that day without them.
8. He helped make sure my dad had little jobs to do in the Tuesday class. He helped him be the “doughnut/biscuit bringer.”
9. He called and then called the next day and the next day and the next, when intensive care waiting rooms, hospital bedsides and rehab facilities were void of a sense of even the passing of time. He helped us mark and count the days till brighter times, always giving us hope. “Uncle Lee’s a strong man. Look at him. He’s already up walking!”
10. He could make anybody double over with laughter at any given time and he knew just when to do that. He got that from his daddy. We’ve sung a thousand songs about heaven together. In that Jacksonville building, at our grandmother’s house on Goodlett Street (and we both loved her deeply, but she loved me the best =)), in my mother and dad’s yard, and in my living room. We’ve sung some sad songs in times of loss and some happy songs at family reunions. But we’ve never sung one as pretty as the one he sings now. We will sing together again at the best of family reunions in the Father’s house.
