CALLOUSED HANDS

  As I sat in the room as the family surrounding the man who has loved them, taught them about God and created an amazing legacy for each one, my eyes were constantly drawn to his hands. Two days before, I held his hand as he was getting sick from the pain that was caused by the disease that was taking over his body. I wiped his mouth and fed him ice to soothe his throat. I remembered him momentarily lighting up as my love spoke to him before he went to sleep again. I was overwhelmed with emotions as I looked at this same man and hardly recognized him as the one I was with just two days before. This man has shaped each person in the room and so many more that were not able to sit by his bedside.
  I watched as the man I love held his grandpa's hand. I saw those two calloused hands joined and knew there was a much deeper bond that you could not see. Those hands represented a hard working, loving man. They no longer held tools but instead were resting on a Bible. He did not speak but he could hear everything around him. He may not be sharing the gospel but his life represented the Lord. He may not be attending church this Sunday but we had church all around him. He may not be filling up his seat in the pew but his spirit was felt. I stood there helplessly as I heard my love weeping and whispering his love and goodbyes as his grandpa's breathing became more labored. I knew that many hours, days and years they have spent together before that moment. "He is going to a better place" was spoken, but it doesn't make it hurt any less for the ones he is leaving behind. We all sat around him and celebrated the Lord's supper. We honored the One who died for us all and praised Him for preparing a place for each of us when it is our time to go home to Heaven. As I led "Because He Lives" and "Amazing Grace" we lifted our voices in song praising the One he served. He may not be long in this world but a piece of Heaven came down in that room as we celebrated the soon to be home going of an amazing, godly man.
   The peace that resided in the room as prayers, love, singing and praise were taking place at the bedside of this loved one. It's amazing the calmness that surrounds believers when one of our own is fixing to go to Heaven. I held a phone as one of his grandsons Skyped saying his goodbyes from Peru, just in case he didn't get back in time. He praised his life and the influence his grandpa had on him. He said, "Everyone can  see your influence in me." What an amazing statement. As I sat there, my prayer for this family that I have come to love is for God to give them grace to bear the loss, the fortitude to keep the legacy that was created thriving and pass along the truths and lessons learned from him to the ones that come after.
  This man I have just met has changed me as well seeing someone have a life that so greatly represented the Lord and influence everyone around him in such a way and witnessing that for myself. Touching the lives around us in such a way that you live on through that touch, influence and love, long after you are gone. No matter when he goes home, he will always be here. The ones he left behind are his representatives. What will we do with what he taught us? Who will step up and fill his shoes as "candy man" at church? Who will be the stronger Christian and pillar of the family now? What will I do with what I have seen? I came here to support the family. I came with the intention of offering support, strength and love but I was given that instead. I was allowed into the private moments of a loving, Christian family and I stand in awe of the godly heritage before me. I believe I have been in the midst of one of the "greats". I sat, listened and watched the activity going on around the bedside and knew I would never be the same. Please say a prayer for this family as they send off the patriarch of the family to his home in Heaven.