Whoopie! Hallelujah!

On Tuesday, I had the incredible privilege of serving my family by honoring the life of my Paw Paw at his funeral. After 93 wonderful years, he breathed his last and went home to be with Jesus. He and my grandma had been married for 68 years and together raised 4 beautiful daughters...and I thought I was surrounded by women! I preached his funeral from his own Bible, which was given to him in 1949. The markings in that Bible marked the priorities of his life--prayer, praise, family, and faith. He was a barber for decades and earned a living charging $1.00 per cut. He stood many hours, cutting a lot of hair just to feed 4 little girls at the house. Being a long-time barber with an expert eye, he always had something to say about my own hair...it never was cut exactly right...until the day I introduced him to my wife, Rachel. He saw how beautiful she was and never had another critical thing to say about my hair!!

He was passionate, fully alive, and completely committed to Jesus Christ. He never experienced fame or fortune. He made no great discoveries. He wrote no books and left no great works of art. But he left us something far greater--a legacy of faith and trust in God.

During his final months in the nursing home, Paw Paw rarely talked above a whisper. Yet, the night of his passing during his final moments, he clapped his hands, lifted them to heaven, and shouted "Whoopie!! Hallelujah!!" After that, he slipped off into eternity. He died just like he lived: enjoying life and celebrating Jesus. That's how I want to go when I die--my eyes and my heart set toward heaven.

Paw Paw was not afraid to die because he had already settled the issue of where he would spend eternity. During our last visit, Paw Paw told me, "Mike, I'm on a journey, and I'm enjoying every step!" His journey is over now, and his joy has just begun."