4 years ago....

.... at the age of 69

..... a day when none of us were ready to let him go

..... God decided that he had plans for Grandpa in Heaven.

He left behind his family, and a legacy that none of us can ever forget..

Photo taken in 2006 of my grandpa and grandma.

Something you have to know about my Grandpa, a story about his life that makes me so proud to say I'm his granddaughter... This story is one I remember hearing around the time of his funeral, as we celebrated his life and the difference he made to so many of us and probably to many people I'll never meet.

So the story is this:

Grandpa was a farmer.. As far as I know, his livelihood was working the ground, planting in the spring, and harvesting in the fall. This involved planting seeds: either corn or soybeans into the dirt, and allowing God to do the rest.

As he eased into retirement, grandpa became more involved in the Bible League, a group that helps bring Bibles into the hands of people who need them in their native language all around the world... He still spent a good amount of time in the field, working the ground, and planting those seeds.
He and grandma traveled to Russia, Thailand, the Phillipines, India, and other places I can't even remember. . It brought him so much joy to interact with people from other countries, listen to their stories, and learn about how they came to know Jesus Christ as Lord.
Grandpa also had a knack for remembering people. I swear.. he knew this guy, and that one.. He'd say, "Mr. Neochimrangcharahong from Thailand said this" etc.... (Sorry Mr. Neo if I got your name wrong..)
So, as I look back ag grandpa's life, he never really stopped planting seeds.. He just started to do it in a different way, and for a bigger purpose. God used him to bring the LOVE of JESUS to people all over the world..
I'd like to think that God is going to get Grandpa in on the great Gathering that will happen when Jesus returns for all of us. What a wonderful harvest that will be!